Dagaaba (Dagarti/Dagara) People: Socially Mobile As Well As Xylophone-Playing Due West African People Renowned For Using Cowries Inwards The Modern Times To Transact Trouble Organisation With Money
The Dagaaba people (Dagarti, LoDagaa" in addition to "Lobi-Dagarti" or Dagara in addition to singular Dagao) are an amalgamated socially mobile, hard working agriculturalist in addition to highly educated Gur-speaking (Mabia) ethnic grouping inwards the West African nations of Ghana, Burkina Faso in addition to Cote d'Ivoire (Cote D`Ivoire). Due to their social mobility, the Dagaaba or Dagarti tin live found inwards almost every component subdivision of Ghana, Burkina Faso, in addition to Ivory Coast. Pockets of the Dagara tin live found inwards other West African countries.
Dagaaba people of Jirapa celebrating their Bong Ngo festival. Courtesy http://adbarnes17.blogspot.com/
The concentration of their settlement is found on their dry soil proper, called Dagaabaland. Dagaabaland stretches from the Northwestern corner of Republic of Ghana to the West banks of the Black Volta River inwards Burkina Faso in addition to inwards the Ivory Coast. Kuukure (1985:23) aptly describes the location of the Dagaaba as follows:
"The Dagarti people... live on both sides of the Black Volta River, which at that dot forms
the boundary betwixt the Republic of Republic of Ghana in addition to Cote d'Ivoire in addition to Upper Volta [now
Burkina Faso]. These people live largely inwards the Northwestern corner of Ghana, spreading
across the border into Upper Volta, correct upward to the 12 parallel north. They are
concentrated especially about the expanse where longitude 3 westward in addition to latitude xi north
cross. But they lean out along the Volta, practically astride longitude 3 west, southward to
latitude l0 north. As a final result of colonisation, which split them upward into zones of British and
French influence, they at nowadays live inwards ii different nations, namely Republic of Ghana in addition to Upper Volta,
non to shout out the sprinkling of them cutting off inwards Ivory Coast." Note: Upper Volta is the sometime shout out of Burkina Faso.
Dagaaba dancers at their annual Bong Ngo festival at Jirapa, Upper West Region, Ghana. Courtesy http://adbarnes17.blogspot.com/
The Dagaaba (Dagarti/Dagao) are renowned for beingness the lastly people inwards the modern world to merchandise in addition to transact commerce amongst precious cowries. Cowries are soundless used as a shape of safety bonds just as people merchandise inwards gold, inwards barter merchandise as good as a shape of bride-price inwards Dagawie (Dagaabaland).
The actual shout out of these people is Dagaaba or Lo Dagaa but most outsiders telephone telephone them Dagarti. One historian, describing the sometime usage of "Dagarti" to refer to this community past times colonials, writes :
"The shout out 'Dagarti' appears to take away hold been coined past times the initiative of all Europeans to see the region, from the vernacular root dagaa. Correctly 'Dagari' is the shout out of the language, 'Dagaaba' or 'Dagara' that of the people, in addition to 'Dagaw' or 'Dagawie' that of the land." They are related to the Birifor people in addition to the Dagaare Diola. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone from Dagarti or Dagaaba tribe is known as Dagao.
Historically, the origins of Dagaaba people has been a complex mystery to tackle. However, the evidence of oral tradition is that the Dagaaba are an outgrowth of the Mole-Dagbani grouping (either Mossi or Dagomba) which migrated to the semi-arid Sahel part inwards the fourteenth century CE. They are believed to take away hold farther migrated to the lower northern component subdivision of the part inwards the seventeenth century. In his article "Customary Law of the Dagara” of Northern Ghana: Indigenous Rules or a Social Construction," published inwards 2002 edition of Journal of Dagaare Studies, Vol 2, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor quoting other sources posited that "The dominant thesis has it that the Dagara are a rebel grouping that migrated away from the autocratic dominion of Dagbon, nether the legendary Na Nyanse (see Tuurey, 1982; Lentz, 1997).
Dagaaba people performing Bewaa trip the low-cal fantastic Kakube Festival at Nandom
The Dagaaba people amongst total population of over 2 ane one one thousand thousand people take away hold the larger per centum of its population residing inwards Ghana. They are found inwards Upper West Region of Republic of Ghana in addition to reside predominantly inwards Lawra, Nadowli, Jirapa, Nandom, Lambussie, Kaleo, Bole, Birifu, Tugu, Daffiama, Wechiau in addition to Hamile. Large communities are also found inwards the towns of Wa, Bogda, Babile, Tuna, Han in addition to Nyoli.
Burkina Faso has the 2nd highest concentration of Dagaaba people in addition to they tin live found in Sud-Ouest Region, especially inwards Ioba Province, but also inwards Poni, Bougouriba, Sissili, in addition to Mouhoun provinces.
In Cote d'Ivoire where in that location are smaller concentration of Dagaaba; they tin live found inwards the districts of Bonduku in addition to Buna.
Dagaaba people dancing to gyil (Xylophone) music at Nandom, Upper West Region, Ghana
Among the ethnic groups inwards Northern Ghana, the Dagaaba or Dagarti are number ane ethnic grouping known for their social mobility from the North to the South long before British colonization of Gold Coast (Ghana). There is a saying/proverb amidst the Dagaaba that "ka biε ba yor, u kun bang dunia (lit. if a kid does non travel, he/she volition non know the world). In his piece of work published in Nordic Journal of African Studies 17(1): 1–19 (2008) entitled "”Ka Biε Ba Yor": Labor Migration amidst the Dagaaba of the Upper West Region of Ghana, 1936– 1957" Gariba B. Abdul-Korah asserted that Dagaaba migration to the Southern Republic of Ghana was cypher new, as it has been erroneously claimed past times some historians that it started in the belatedly 1890s, when the British colonial direction inwards the northward gave impetus to Dagaaba migration past times recruiting labour to piece of work inwards the south. He posited that "Dagaaba migration to southern Republic of Ghana betwixt 1936 in addition to 1957 was an jeopardy – “to regard the world” in addition to gain experience. It did non laid out amongst colonial conquest; it had its roots inwards the precolonial past times – inwards the slave trade, but to a greater extent than especially, inwards the catamenia next Asante’s defeat of Gonja (18th century) through the Zabarima in addition to Samorian invasions of the northwest inwards the belatedly 19th century. Although the imposition of colonial dominion may take away hold transformed the nature in addition to pattern of migration, Dagaaba migration to southern Republic of Ghana during the colonial period, was non new."
The Dagaaba (Dagarti) are famous for steadily gained popularity of the gyil (xylophone) used inwards playing indigenous in addition to folkloric songs. Although the dry soil inhabited past times the Dagarti is far from whatsoever major city, musicians take away hold brought the gyil to national in addition to international audiences. Communicating as performers in addition to teachers across cultural divides is oftentimes challenging. In recent times ane of their contemporary Hiplife music creative someone is "Batman Samini aka Emmanuel Andrew Samini, the MOBO Awards 2006 winner from Ghana.
Dagarti adult man in addition to ane of Ghana`s best Musicians, Batman Samini
Like the Tallensi in addition to Sisaala, the Dagaaba admit the value in addition to the tremendous powerfulness of the dry soil (Tengan 1989). The Dagaaba or Dagara farther admit that dry soil belongs solely to the Tengan (Earth Shrine). They also regard pelting as an indispensable source of life. It is desired in addition to accorded great respect. As amongst the Sisaala, the Dagara are subsistence farmers who depend primarily on rainfed agriculture (Tengan 1989). From this province of affairs of dependence on rainfed agriculture emerge many taboos connected amongst the land, the pelting in addition to the Tengan. One of these taboos is the Tako daa.
The Dagarti are also known for their whirling "Tigari" trip the low-cal fantastic (healing ritual dance) in addition to Bawa trip the low-cal fantastic as good as the Bagre in addition to the Dyoro Secret Societies.
The Dagaaba shares friendly jokes based on "dog head" amongst their beau Mabia group, the Frafra people.
Ethnic Dagaaba dancer
The Dagaaba people take away hold produced some prominent people for Republic of Ghana as a nation. The listing include Chief Simon_Diedong_Dombo, a King, politician, instructor in addition to the Parliamentary Leader during the initiative of all Republic of Ghana, Cardinal Peter Proeku Dery, an assistant traditional (fetish) priest turned Ghanaian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Ambrose P Dery, sometime attorney-General of Republic of Ghana in addition to Member of Parliament for Lawra, Naa Abeifaa Karbo, traditional ruler, sharp politico in addition to founding fellow member of Northern Peoples Party, Jatoe Kaleo, traditional ruler, sharp politico in addition to founding fellow member of Northern Peoples Party, Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri aka Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II, sometime Inspector General of Police (IGP) inwards Republic of Ghana in addition to the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area, Bede_Ziedeng, Ghanaian politico in addition to the sometime Upper West Regional Minister of Ghana, Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle, renowned dermatologist, sharp entrepreneur cum politico in addition to sometime chairman of opposition Convention Peoples Party (CPP) of the belatedly Ghanaian leader Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Alban Bagbin, Ghanaian politician, sometime Minister of Health inwards the Ghana, sometime minority leader in addition to the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West, Benjamin Kunbuor, Ghanaian politician, constabulary lecturer, Member of Parliament for Lawra, sometime Minister for Justice in addition to Attorney General, Minister for Health, Minister for Interior in addition to currently government minister of Defence, Prof. Adams B. Bodomo, professor of African Studies (African Languages in addition to Literatures), prolific author in addition to publisher/editor of Journal of Dagaare studies, etc.
Clusters of Dagaaba
The terms "LoDagaa" in addition to "Lobi-Dagarti" (or Dagara) are used for a cluster of peoples situated across the frontier of Burkina Faso in addition to Ghana, originally grouped together past times Labouret, next the usage of Delafosse in addition to other francophones. In this cluster, Labouret included the "true Lobi" (or those the Birifor telephone telephone the "LoWilisi") about Gaoua, who (according to Westermann in addition to Bryan 1952) speak a Dogon-type linguistic communication (the inclusion of Dogon is disputed); the Birifor (or LoBirifor) to their east, who speak Dagara, a Mole-Dagbane language; in addition to 4 smaller groups: the Teguessié, the Dorossié, the Dian, in addition to the Gan. The Teguessié (or Tégué) speak a linguistic communication of the Kulango Group in addition to are sometimes thought of as the autochthons; they were Masters of the ground inwards much of the area. The other little groups speak languages related to Lobiri, as do the Padoro in addition to peradventure the Komono; Dian in addition to Lobiri (in the east) are to a greater extent than closely related, as is the western group.
Dagaaba women
Subsequently, Père (1988) adopted the francophone usage of Lobi ("la région Lobi") to concealment the peoples of the Gaoua District of Burkina Faso, including non only the Jãa (Dian); the Gaàn (Gan); the Teésé (Teguessié); the Dòcsè (or Dorossié, but also the Kùlãgo [Kulango]); the Dagara (divided into Dagara Lobr in addition to Dagara Wiili [Oulé]); in addition to the Pwa (formerly known as the Pugula or Pougouli), who speak a Grusi language. Indeed, because she is dealing amongst the region, she also includes the Wala in addition to the Dagara-Jula inwards her account.
Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, ethnic Dagaaba, Ghanaian politician, sometime Minister of Health inwards the Ghana, sometime minority leader in addition to the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West.
The problems of ethnic classification inwards this expanse are several. In the initiative of all place, names differ, depending on whether they are used past times francophones or past times anglophones. The Lobi described past times Rattray (1932) include the Birifor as good as the Dagara of Labouret. Second, the names take away hold changed over time. People who were known as "Lobi" inwards the Lawra District of Republic of Ghana at the kickoff of the nineteenth century are at nowadays "Dagara." Third, the names themselves oftentimes do non depict distinct ethnic groups. There are many differences inwards custom in addition to organisation betwixt neighboring settlements, in addition to these settlements may live referred to past times the ii quasi-directional terms, "Lo" (Lobi, west) in addition to "Dagaa" (east), to distinguish different practices (for example, the usage of xylophones). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 settlement may spot amongst its eastern neighbors on ane occasion (as Dagaa) in addition to amongst its western ones (as Lo) on another. This histrion usage has led Goody to spot a spectrum of peoples, the LoDagaa, who usage these names for reference to themselves in addition to others. They are, from westward to east, the truthful Lobi, the Birifor or LoBirifor, the LoPiel (around Nandom) in addition to the LoSaala (around Lawra), the Dagara (around Dano), the LoWiili (around Birifu), both DagaaWiili (around Tugu), in addition to the Dagaba or Dagarti. The Wala speak the Dagaba linguistic communication in addition to constitute a little province that has its origins eastward inwards Dagomba. That province established itself as ruler over the southern Dagaba in addition to some Grusi-speaking peoples. In the west, a branch of the ruling dynasty extended across the Black Volta to Buna, where they adapted the local Kulango language. The LoPiel in addition to the LoSaala are known to francophones as "Dagara" (or Dagara-Lobr), in addition to they at nowadays mostly usage this term rather than "Lobi" for self-reference because they take away hold been forced to assort themselves unambiguously for administrative purposes. That alter is widespread because "Dagara" is oftentimes a to a greater extent than prestigious term than "Lobi." The latter is associated inwards many people's minds amongst the large lip plugs of gourd or metallic that are worn inwards the westward (the easterners vesture lean metallic plugs) in addition to amongst the stress that the westerners spot on matrilineal inheritance, nigh which modernizers (church, schools, law, some administrators) mostly experience hostile in addition to ambivalent.
Dr Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor, Ethnic Dagaaba man, Ghanaian politician, constabulary lecturer, Member of Parliament for Lawra, sometime Minister for Justice in addition to Attorney General, Minister for Health, Minister for Interior in addition to currently government minister of Defence
Given these contextual, overlapping, in addition to changing usages past times the peoples themselves, histrion names are rarely satisfactory to dot "tribal" groups, past times which nosotros refer to larger groupings of settlements amongst relatively homogeneous practices. These groups tin live distinguished, roughly from eastward to west, as the Dagaba or Dagarti (around Jirapa); the LoPiel (around Nandom) in addition to the LoSaala (around Lawra), both "Dagara Lobr" inwards French; the DagaaWiili (around Legmoin in addition to Tugu) in addition to the LoWiili (around Birifu), both "Dagara Wiilé" inwards French; the Birifor or LoBirifor (around Batié in addition to inwards western Gonja); in addition to the Lobi or LoWiilisi (around Gaoua). There are, inwards addition, the smaller populations of Gan, Dorossié, in addition to Gian, who speak Lobi languages, in addition to Teguessié, in addition to who speak Kulango. These groups tin live collectively designated as the LoDagaa or Lobi-Dagarti cluster, in that location beingness no argue to exclude the other Dagara-speaking peoples in ane trial the Birifor take away hold been included amidst the Lobi.
Dagaaba kids coming from the farm inwards photo-shot amongst Kirstin, fellow member of Vetinarians Without Borders, at Nadowli, Upper West Region, Ghana. Courtesy http://vwbvsfstudentghana2010.blogspot.com/
Dagaaba Creation Story/Myth
The Dagaaba creation story tin live found in Bagre performance that demonstrates the spiritual importance of the surround to Dagaaba. According to Dannabang Kuwabong "Bagre informs us that humans were created from a combination of the soil (earth), okra (plants), God’s saliva (water), in addition to the semen in addition to eggs of flies in addition to cats (animals). Seen this way, the human someone is a configuration of the land, the animal, the spirit, in addition to the flora in addition to nosotros owe our lives to a preservation of the remainder betwixt us in addition to these initiative of all beings. In other words, animals, plants, spirits, in addition to the dry soil must constantly live negotiated amongst as they take away hold a closer affinity amongst the divine who oversees everything. That explains why Dagaaba regard spirituality inwards every creation in addition to situation."
Dagao adult man from Burkina Faso
Language
The Dagaaba speaks the Dagaare language ((also spelled Dagare, Dagari, Dagarti, Dagaran or, Dagao), which belongs to the Oti-Volta grouping of the Gur branch of the Niger-Congo linguistic communication solid unit of measurement (Swadesh 1966, Bendor-Samuel1971:144, Naden 1989).
Dagaare is a two-toned linguistic communication also referred to as Mabia subgroup of the branch of the Niger-Congo linguistic communication of West Africa. (Bodomo 1997, Bodomo 2000, Anttila in addition to Bodomo 2001). It is spoken past times nigh 2 ane one one thousand thousand people, mainly inwards Republic of Ghana but also inwards neighbouring regions of West Africa, similar Burkina Faso in addition to the Ivory Coast. Phonologically speaking, Dagaare in addition to other Mabia languages, including Moore, Dagbane, Frafra, Kusaal, Mampruli in addition to Buli, are marked past times a preponderance of consonants in addition to a scarcity of vowel sounds when compared to Indo-European languages, such as English linguistic communication in addition to French (Bodomo, forthcoming). One distinctive phonological characteristic is the double joint of some consonants. These include labio-velar
stops similar /gb/ /kp/ in addition to /ngm/. Such features, rare inwards Indo-European languages, are a mutual characteristic in
many African languages. The labio-velar in addition to velar sounds are partially complementary, as inwards the alternate
causative/non-causative forms of the verbs k/ kp i, ‘die’ inwards Dagaare. Regular allophones oftentimes involve /d/ in addition to /r/, in addition to /g/ in addition to // across the diverse languages. There may also live limited cases of gratis variation as it is betwixt /h/ in addition to /z/ inwards the Dagaare word, ha a / za a , ‘all’.
Prof. Adams B. Bodomo, professor of African Studies (African Languages in addition to Literatures), prolific author in addition to publisher/editor of Journal of Dagaare studies
There is the typological characteristic of vowel harmony inwards Dagaare in addition to many Mabia languages. Words similar ko go
(‘chair’), bi i ri (‘(‘children’), in addition to tu u ro (‘digging’) are pronounced amongst tense or advanced natural language root vowels, patch words similar k)b) (‘bones’), biiri (‘to brew “pito” the 2nd day’), tuur) (‘insulting’) are pronounced amongst lax or unadvanced natural language root vowels. Front rounded vowels, found inwards languages similar French in addition to Norwegian, in addition to dorsum unrounded vowels are absent inwards these languages, except when phonetically realized inwards particular environments.
Syllabic nasality is also a typological characteristic inwards these languages. These are realized inwards some environments,
most oftentimes as pronouns in addition to particles; as inwards the instance of the Dagaare tertiary someone pronoun /N/ as inwards m `ba , (‘my father’), n`zu (‘my head’) in addition to inwards the Dagaare particle, -N which is a cliticized shape of the polarity
marker, la.
Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri aka Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II, Ethnic Dagarti adult man in addition to sometime Inspector General of Police (IGP) inwards Republic of Ghana in addition to the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area inwards his smock sitting inwards the middle. Courtesy FH Communications Bureau
Dagaare in addition to other Mabia languages primarily take away hold ii tonal systems, high in addition to low, (respectively marked
past times acuate in addition to grave diachritics on the sounds amongst contain them) amongst cases of downstep inwards some of the
languages, i.e. subsequent high tones may non live as high as preceeding ones. These tones serve to express
both lexical in addition to grammatical oppositions as inwards the Dagaare verbs, da` (‘push’), /da` (‘buy’), in addition to as inwards the
declarative in addition to hortative readings of pronouns e.g.u` kuli la yiri / `u` kuli la yiri ((‘He went home/ He should
go home’).
Dagaare, in addition to its grouping of languages, usually manifest opened upward syllables. Both CV in addition to CVC syllables tin be
reconstructed, but it is usually possible to insert a lastly syllable. Thus, the Dagaare verb ‘to leave’, may live realized either as bar` or bar i`. There are also dialectal differences amongst abide by to these ii forms.
.An of import typological characteristic of these languages is the scheme of substantive classes. Noun class
manifestation is a mutual characteristic for Niger-Congo languages, but patch most of these languages usage a
prefixal pattern, i.e. cases inwards which nominal inflections occur before, rather than, after the root, Mabia
languages mostly usage a scheme of grade suffixes. These are typically based on singular/plural alternations.
Most nouns be inwards iii forms: the root, the singular, in addition to the plural. An illustration is the Dagaare give-and-take for
‘woman/wife’: p)g- (root), p)ga (singular), p) gba (plural), amongst the farther vowel assimilation inwards some
dialects to give us p)g)` in addition to p)gb).
Another of import typological characteristic within Dagaare in addition to its grouping of languages is verb morphology. In
most of these languages in that location is a regular shape of marking perfective in addition to imperfective aspects past times adding
suffixes to the verbs, as inwards zoe` ‘have run’ in addition to zoro` ‘running’.
As far as possible, the diverse texts associated amongst the music on this recording are presented amongst tonal
transcriptions. For phrases in addition to larger chunks of data, nosotros provide interlinear glossings. These glossings
provide interesting insights into the grammatical in addition to communicative construction of the Dagaare language.
Finally, gratis translations follow the glosses to capture salient aspects of the linguistic in addition to cultural meaning
behind these texts. This linguistic information transcription is an of import aspect for the analysis and
interpretation of the music texts. The next is an illustration:
Ka` Ne3` bi`eng wa` b)ng ba`waa tenee` paal`ong bi`e naa
COMP person Child. FOC NEG know ba`waa 1. PL area kid NEG
(‘If a kid doesn’t know how to trip the low-cal fantastic baawaa s/he cannot peradventure live a kid from our town.’)
History
Retinue og Dagaaba chiefs, drummers in addition to dancers at annual Bong Ngo festival at Jirapa
The Lobi-Dagarti peoples are without whatsoever overarching tribal organisation or, strictly speaking, whatsoever territory. They displace non as large units, but as solid unit of measurement groups, sometimes into other ethnic areas, where they may live absorbed into the local population. Most of the groups to the westward of the Black Volta claim to take away hold been formerly settled to the eastward of the river, inwards what is at nowadays Ghana. From the eighteenth century on, they take away hold moved across the river. There appear to take away hold been Lobi as good as Dagaba inwards the Wa expanse when the ruling dynasty arrived; the Jãa were surely settled inwards the Lawra expanse until, attracted past times a sparsely populated part amongst plenty of farmland in addition to wood create in addition to nether pressure level from other LoDagaa, mainly from the due south in addition to southwest (but fifty-fifty from westward of the river), they crossed the Black Volta. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minority of clans draw their origins from other regions.
One of the factors leading to the motion has been the search for to a greater extent than in addition to improve land, next before hunting expeditions. Another factor has been the raids mounted past times the states of the part (as good as past times the occasional freebooters in addition to adventurers) inwards their search for slaves, partly for their ain usage but mainly to render the Asante and, through them, the Europeans inwards the south. The invaders on horseback terrified the inhabitants, who sometimes retaliated amongst poisoned arrows. Mainly, however, they fled, using the larger rivers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of characteristics—their dispersed settlements of fortress-type houses, the women's lip plugs, their rejection of cloth, in addition to their full general aggressiveness—have been attributed to the effects of such raids. In the belatedly twentieth century houses are smaller, the way of clothing is to a greater extent than "European," in addition to less hostility is displayed.
The establishment of the international boundary has brought nigh a decline inwards east-west migration. The main motion of the Lobi inwards the belatedly twentieth century has been of ii kinds. The initiative of all has been from the Lawra District to the vacant lands southward on the route to Kumasi, which many men take away hold traveled inwards the dry out flavor as migrant laborers. Settlements that create nutrient for sale inwards the markets take away hold grown upward from Wa due south to the northwest of Asante. The 2nd movement, kickoff inwards 1917, has been eastward across the Black Volta from the francophone territories to Ghana, where in that location were fewer calls past times the regime on task services. Many Birifor moved into the sparsely populated lands of western Gonja, which had been decimated as a final result of Samori's wars at the halt of the nineteenth century. These migrants take away hold proved to live much to a greater extent than aggressive, market-oriented farmers than their hosts, amongst whom in that location has been some conflict over taxes in addition to representation.
Settlement
Settlements inwards the expanse consist of named units that are usually centered on a specific parish or ritual expanse of an ground shrine. Among the Dagaaba, most houses are made of mud and/or cement amongst either thatched, laterite or aluminum roofs. These settlements are inhabited past times members of several exogamous lineages housed inwards fortress-type compounds amongst 2.5meter-high walls, a apartment roofs, in addition to entrances reached (at to the lowest degree formerly) past times wooden ladders to the roofs. These houses are some 100 meters apart in addition to contain an average of xv persons, but they vary inwards size, depending on the province of the developmental cycle of the domestic group. Around the walls lies the chemical compound farm, which is fertilized past times human detritus in addition to is used past times the women to flora their soup vegetables. It is adjoined past times spot farms; bush farms prevarication much farther away. The settlements consist of some 250 to 750 inhabitants.
Each of these compounds is inhabited by, amidst others, an simple family, consisting of a man, his married adult woman or wives in addition to children. Such a solid unit of measurement is established through marriage.
Dagaaba people
Economy
Subsistence in addition to Commercial Activities. The economic scheme is essentially ane of the hoe farming of cereals (sorghum, pennisetum [pearl millet], maize), together amongst some yams, especially inwards the southern areas that are occupied past times migrants. In addition, people grow squashes, peppers, beans (including Bambara beans), groundnuts, in addition to a piffling rice. Some of this create is sold inwards the local markets, especially sorghum inwards the shape of beer. Most compounds also possess a herd of cows, in addition to some sheep, goats, guinea fowl, in addition to chickens, which are mainly killed as sacrifices to live distributed.
Dagarti farmers inwards their farm at Jirapa
Industrial Arts in addition to Trade. Lobi women create a sure amount of gold, which finds its way into the hands of Dyula traders. Associated amongst before gilt workings, it has been suggested, are the ruins of stone houses. Since the advent of colonial rule, the relative peace that it brought nigh in addition to the cheaper atomic number 26 tools that it provided take away hold led to increased production, evidence of which tin live seen inwards the markets. That increment is also truthful for livestock. Along amongst wage task (performed either locally or as migrants), these developments take away hold increased purchasing power. Whereas piffling was imported before except salt, at nowadays large amounts of textile are brought in, in addition to other manufactured objects, such as matches, bicycles, transistor radios, in addition to household utensils, are used inwards considerable quantities. Local arts and crafts production consists of atomic number 26 implements, brass bangles in addition to other ornaments, musical instruments, some wood carvings, in addition to woven mats.
Today migration—both of the uneducated, seeking piece of work as laborers, in addition to of the educated, who mostly piece of work inwards the towns—is frequent. The historic catamenia of migrants is at nowadays much lower than formerly, in addition to the duration of their absences is much greater. The final result is that larger numbers of houses are inhabited past times old men, women, in addition to children who take away hold to carry out the agricultural piece of work without the aid they would take away hold received from the migrants. Thus, the sexual partitioning of task has been altered. The south, however, is kickoff to lose some of its attraction as the international economic scheme affects the recruitment of labor, potential recruits are frightened past times tales of AIDS.
The LoDagaa (including the Lobi) were non themselves traders (except inwards the province of Wa), but major north-south merchandise routes of Dyula in addition to Hausa merchants ran through the expanse from the wood to the Sahel.
Food
Some of the differences that be betwixt the Dagaare-speaking communities are somehow subtle in addition to non easily noticeable past times the on-looker. For example, although the staple dish amidst the Dagaaba is saabo or Sao (called "to" inwards many other African languages), the constitution/texture of this millet, sorghum or maize-based repast may vary from ane community to the other. In addition, the soup that is eaten amongst the saabo may live prepared inwards a slightly different way inwards spite of the fact that virtually the same ingredients may live used inwards each case. Meat is non considered an of import food, except inwards special meals for instance at funerals. Apart from these occasions, only guinea fowl are slaughtered for regular consumption.
Although all marriages amidst the Dagaaba involve courtship (pog bo) in addition to the transfer of bride wealth/kyeru, the details of what goes on during courtship in addition to what constitutes the bride wealth vary from ane community to the other. For example, Goody (1967), reported that amidst the LoWiili, the bride wealth is non accepted on the initiative of all solar daytime it is presented. It is only on the tertiary occasion that the bride wealth is finally accepted as beingness the accurate amount required. This is non the instance amidst other communities similar the Sapaare in addition to the Jiribale. However, as to what constitutes a bride wealth, these ii communities tend to differ. For example, the amount of bride wealth required for a married adult woman from Sapaare volition live insufficient to obtain a married adult woman from a Jiribale community.
Bridewealth: In general, bride wealth amidst the Dagaaba usually involves some amount of cowries, cash, in addition to livestock. The proportions of these diverse items may vary but volition almost ever involve a number of cowries. The cowries and/or cash portion is referred to as the pog libie. Among the LoWiili, the bride wealth consists of a cock in addition to guinea-fowl to the in-laws, in addition to the pog libie, a total of around 20,000 cowries, usually, the same amount that was paid for the girl’s mother. Various rituals accompany the counting in addition to transfer of bride wealth past times the groom’s solid unit of measurement to the bride’s agnatic home. Once the patrikin of the bride have the bride wealth, they also perform a number of rituals during the counting, distribution in addition to storing of it. In general, the bride wealth received for a immature adult woman is used to acquire a married adult woman for a son. Whereas paying the bride wealth of a immature man’s initiative of all married adult woman is the obligation of his solid unit of measurement elders, if he wishes to acquire polygamous, he volition mostly live solely responsible for paying the bride wealth of these subsequent wives.
The diverse rituals performed during the counting in addition to transfer past times the groom’s relatives as good as those (the rituals) that go on during the counting in addition to credence of the bride wealth, are tied to the fertility in addition to fidelity of the bride. If some of the rituals are non good done, the adult woman could take away hold difficulty bearing children during the marriage. It is also believed that in ane trial those rituals take away hold been performed in addition to the bride wealth accepted, in addition to so whatsoever infidelity on the component subdivision of the adult woman could final result inwards her expiry if she does non confess forthwith in addition to go through purification rites/rituals.
Domestic Unit
The domestic unit of measurement is mostly built on agnatic ties, given that wives bring together their husbands at marriage, but amidst the Lobi in addition to Birifor, men do extensive bride-service, in addition to some immature children may grow upward amongst their mother's brothers before their woman parent leaves for her husband's house. In most cases, the farming grouping is small. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 adult man in addition to his sons may farm together for a longer catamenia amidst the groups inwards which patricians dominate. The spot grouping that occupies a chemical compound may consist of several farming groups, in addition to each farming grouping may live divided into smaller eating groups.
Inheritance
Among the Dagaba in addition to the Wiili, a man's belongings passes initiative of all to his total brothers, if they are farming together, in addition to and so to his sons. Among the LoPiel, the LoSaala, the Birifor, in addition to the Lobi, dry soil passes inwards the paternal line, whereas movable belongings is transmitted initiative of all to uterine siblings in addition to and so to sisters' sons, leading to before splits inwards the domestic groups in addition to to tensions betwixt a adult man in addition to his mother's brothers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 woman's belongings mostly goes to her daughters if it is sex-linked, but livestock may go to her sons.
Socialization
Young children are looked after past times their mothers in addition to are breast-fed until they tin walk in addition to talk, when they "become humans" in addition to are thus entitled to a proper burial (see "Death in addition to Afterlife"). Later on, they are cared for past times elderberry sisters or relatives, who involve them inwards their play. Boys go off inwards groups to herd cattle, whereas girls play to a greater extent than domestic games about the compound, helping their mothers from fourth dimension to fourth dimension past times fetching H2O or grinding in addition to pounding cereals. Among the Lobi, girls also seem after cattle, although boys in addition to girls hand this responsibleness to their juniors when they are initiated into the Dyoro society.
Dagaaba women of Nandom dancing
Sociopolitical Organization
Political Organization. Except for the Wala in addition to the Gan, as good as the Kaleo the peoples of this grouping lacked chieftainship in addition to telephone substitution political organisation until the coming of colonial rule. Inferring from Yelpaala’s (1992) article, the political organisation of the Dagaaba was, until the imposition of colonialism, decentralized inwards its full general structure.
Dagaaba people of Nadowli
From the outside, it mightiness take away hold appeared amorphous in addition to non easily susceptible to analysis, for its organisation in addition to institutions were non defined inwards terms of the total territorial unit of measurement but inwards terms of sub-territorial areas teni (villages) referred to past times Goody as parishes, in addition to past times Fortes inwards his study of the Tallensi as settlements. The political organisation of each teng (village) exhibited a sure grade of centralization of say-so amongst a really limited vertical structure. The telephone substitution say-so was cross-hauled from the elders (ninbere) of different kin-based groups within the territorial area. This body was the basic establishment dealing amongst most issues of full general community interest. All elders amongst the exception of the custodians of the dry soil (tendaana) inwards sure cases, were theoretically co-equals inwards all deliberations. However, inwards matters that related to the teng in addition to the dry soil deity (tengan), the tendaana was the lastly authority. Thus depending on the issues involved, the telephone substitution say-so was either circular amongst its functions based on consultation in addition to consensus, or unidirectional, from the tendaana downwards to the ease of society.
In every hamlet (teng), this basic construction to a greater extent than or less replicated itself. Each teng however, enjoyed an independent autonomous existence from the others. Therefore, the society was at the same fourth dimension centralized at the unit of measurement plane in addition to decentralized at the total societal level. Centralization within the little units provided the useful banking concern check on the abuses or excesses inwards the usage of centralized political power. On really of import and
broader cultural or extraterritorial issues involving non-Dagaaba, such as warfare or resistance against slave raiding, these centralized institutions would coordinate, cooperate or deliberate as a larger telephone substitution unit. However, these higher plane organizations did non appear to involve the total territorial expanse of the Dagaaba. Yet, taking whatsoever territorial unit of measurement as a starting point, that unit of measurement was linked separately to all other contiguous units past times a chain of mutual culture, mutual descent, in addition to political or legal cooperation. Each of these other units was also separately in addition to similarly linked to yet other contiguous territorial units until the chain of interlocking linkages involve the entire Dagawie. Depending on the issues at stake, contiguity, consanguinity, historical ties in addition to the plane of sophistication inwards the native fine art of diplomacy, cooperation or integration betwixt different territorial units was great or little inwards amplitude. The basic philosophy which guided the interaction of all telephone substitution authorities at the larger unit of measurement plane was equality. All element units functioned as co-equals, for the Dagaaba say that doo bii pog ba gangna o to (i.e., no adult man or adult woman is superior to their peer). This then, has been in addition to continues to live the ground of egalitarian thought amidst the Dagaaba, what is called the traditional level. Within the national political structure, Dagaaba political thought, similar all other traditional systems, is relegated to an inferior status.
Social Control in addition to Conflicts
The main causes of conflict were rights to women in addition to access to wood products. Within the parish, conflicts of this variety were rare because of kin ties in addition to abide by for the ground shrine. Strong sanctions existed against adultery, theft, in addition to other delicts, which were settled within in addition to betwixt local lineages. More recently, local chiefs in addition to headmen take away hold exercised supervision on behalf of the government, in addition to local courts of constabulary take away hold been established.
Crime in addition to penalization are just as much issues of politics as they of religion. Until recently, theft was a rare occurrence amidst the Dagaaba. It was taken as a really repulsive in addition to anti-social human activity condemned past times all, including the spirits in addition to the ancestors who could live invoked whenever necessary to punish a thief severely. Theft is so much looked downward upon that it is non uncommon to hear a someone trying to show her/his integrity, say that (s)he does non steal or rob - N ba zuuro, n ba faara. In a society where houses take away hold virtually no door panels nor to locks, in that location is understandably a full general demand for trust in addition to social cohesion.
In Dagaare, the term iibo signifies the full general normative value scheme roofing established in addition to accepted norms, principles, practices, procedures which regulation life inwards full general in addition to disputing inwards particular. It is when a specific conduct is inwards conflict amongst the Dagaaba iibo that ane may live characterized as deviant. In low-cal of this concept of iibo, therefore, the Dagaaba may live viewed as a unified group, vis-á-vis other non-Dagaaba, including their neighbors.
Dagaagba women of Nadowli at their Nadowli Womens meeting
Religious Belief
Dagaaba take away hold strong believe in Naangmen (older spelling Naamwin), supreme God in addition to creator og the Universe. He is goodness in addition to omnipotent but has no shrines, so in that location is no way of communication amongst him. Mwin way “sun“, in addition to Naamwin is sometimes identified amongst sun, sky, or rain. Goody, inwards The myth of the Bagre, maintains that God’s practical alienation from his universe is thought of past times the Dagaaba as a component subdivision of the work of evil. “If he were to go on inwards his primordial role“, says Goody, “our problems would non exist. With his aid, disease, evil, in addition to misfortune could live banished“.
In addition, Dagaaba strongly believe in addition to reverence the ‘Mother Earth’ (Tengbane). Tengbane or Mother ground is the 2nd most powerful deity after the supreme God, Naangmen. Therefore the Dagao sees the ground or physical surround as sacred and divine; that they are born from the earth, live on in addition to through it, volition live buried inwards it; in addition to that they volition join the ancestors who, though invisible, are nonetheless located inwards the surround amongst other spiritual beings. This is good articulated inwards Bagre narrative, in addition to shows that as our Mother, nosotros owe our life to Earth. It is from her thorax that the milk of sustenance is drawn, whether it is water, food, soil, wood, or herbal medicine, in addition to it is to her womb that nosotros shall render inwards death. Likewise, Kukure (1985:55) sees ground as the ‘controlling agency inwards life, the source of fertility, of prosperity, [and] of survival [. . . .] Moreover the [Earth must give an line organisation human relationship of all that takes spot on [her] surface. [She] reports to God the actions of the living, non only of humans, but also of beasts. Hence, the someone who is on goodness terms amongst the [Earth] (and ancestors) is also on goodness terms amongst God.’ This belief scheme has generated a conceptual frame in which the Dagaaba do non relate to their surround through an ideology of domination, but rather through responsive negotiation.
In relation to the Tengbane, Dagaaba also take away hold the Sagbane (Father Sky). But dissimilar the Tengbane who is
responsible for many things that brand human life what it is, Sagbane is responsible for rain, sunshine, and moonlight, in addition to the unseen energies of stars, thunder in addition to lightning. Even though Sagbane is the Father, he is secondary inwards importance to Tengbane during invocatory prayers of Dagaaba. Tengbane comes second to Naangmen. It is also on line organisation human relationship of Sagbane’s secondary spot that His priest, the Saadaana, does non characteristic really much inwards Dagaaba daily existence, in addition to the business office is non found inwards every settlement. It is to Tengbane that daily libations are poured. Tengbane is Goddess, in addition to the Mother of Bagre; she must not live polluted. When Tengbane is polluted, efforts are initiated to perform the appropriate in addition to necessary
sacrifices for the restoration of the broken remainder betwixt the self, the community, Tengbane, the spirit
world, in addition to finally amongst Nangmen. Because Tengbane covers the earth’s surface, it becomes the universal
altar upon which humans, represented past times Dagaaba, gather to pray for rain, cure to epidemics, victory in
wars, goodness harvests, or the settlement of a novel village. It is to Tengbane that immigrants are taken for
induction into the clan. It is for these reasons in addition to others also many to enumerate hither that the High Priest of Tengbane, the Tengdaana, holds the highest socio-spiritual in addition to moral say-so inwards whatsoever Dagaaba village. Each settlement of, say, 300 to 1,000 people has an “earth-shrine” (tengbane) in addition to an earth-priest (tengdaana) which is usually situated inwards a grove inwards a telephone substitution component subdivision of the settlement. Sacrifices are performed past times an earth-priest in addition to his assistants, also past times patriclan representatives. In addition, anyone may brand sacrifices to the ground simply past times edifice a little mound past times the path leading to the shrine.
Certain prohibitions are linked amongst the earth-shrine; for instance large sacrifices must live made if people shed ane another’s blood, or if someone commits suicide. It is also a serious offence to take away hold sexual practice out-of-doorsThe complex cosmological human relationship Dagaaba take away hold amongst Tengbane is reflected inwards the mediatory role played past times the Tengdaana in addition to Tengbane betwixt the people in addition to Naangmen. It must live stressed hither that Dagaaba take away hold as many Tengbama (plural for Tengbane) in addition to Tengdaamba (plural for Tengdaana) as in that location are settlements. This does non inwards anyway dot whatsoever conflictual relationships amongst the Tengbane. The diverse Tengbama stand upward for settlement patterns, in addition to must live seen as parishes of the same Goddess. Each Tengdaana in addition to so becomes a parish priest, performing the same functions, amongst local variation, to an omnipresent in addition to omniscient Tengbane
In monastic enjoin to demo how of import the higher upward human relationship is, it is necessary to consider the role of the ancestral spirits inwards the surround as narrated inwards Bagre. The ancestral spirits piece of work inwards alliance amongst or against the Kontongbilii, the initiative of all nonhuman creatures inwards the surround to come upward to the assist of humans. They instruct Dagaaba everything nigh survival: how to grow food, hunt, brand weapons, cook, brand beer, in addition to fifty-fifty start Bagre itself. Kontongbilii, together amongst the ancestral spirits instruct the Dagaaba nigh their surround through dreams in addition to visions. For instance, they instruct traditional healers nigh the importance of sure plants as sources of medicine. Hence, Dagaaba perceive plants as living beings amongst spirits of their own. Plants also provide humans amongst food, fuel, in addition to medicine. Subsequently, to disrespect in addition to maltreat plants tin live dangerous, because plants do strike dorsum amongst diseases. For instance, a someone who indiscriminately destroys woodlots tin live sick from what is called ‘tree bite.’ Animals, the Bagre narrative tells us, instruct nigh the medicinal in addition to toxic values of plants from animals (ll.2320-2469). It is from plants that nosotros acquire poisons such as strophanthus for toxicant for arrowheads, in addition to to care for guinea worm infection. From the same plants nosotros acquire medicine to halt nascency blood, in addition to facilitate childbirth.
As indicated earlier, Bagre performance coincides inwards most cases amongst Kpangkyaanee (autumn), in addition to Uonii (Dry Season). With less piece of work on the farms, in addition to amongst plenty of food, people are inwards a festive mood. Bagre performance also is timed amongst moontide so that inter-clan in addition to intra-clan socialization is facilitated. Consequently, Bagre calendars laid out amongst the kickoff of harvest, fifty-fifty though novel harvests are forbidden to the initiates until they graduate. The most of import crop’s initiative of all fruit is the shea, which becomes mature inwards June. In determining when Bagre flavor tin live announced, the elders resort to the legend of the fruitbat. In this legend, the fruitbat, in addition to other animals in addition to birds as Bagre elders aid humans inwards their spiritual journey:
"And inwards Bagre,
our elders
are many.’
‘What do you lot hateful past times many?’
‘You saw that
inwards Bagre
in that location was the large fruit-bat.
He’s our Bagre
elder.
The belibaar bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The kyaalipio bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The large frog
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The damdamwule bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The crown bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.’
‘What’s an elder?’
‘I tell you,
all winged creatures
in addition to the featherless cock.’
(Goody 1972: Bagre Degre-- Dirty Bagre ll. 4550-4579)
At this stage, initiates laid out their teaching on the roles played past times the diverse animals inwards Bagre, in addition to thus inwards human survival. The large fruitbat knows when the initiative of all shea fruits are mature. By observing its behavior, the elders are able to know the exact fourth dimension to denote the flavor without breaking whatsoever spiritual taboos. In this case, stuff scientific discipline is of no significance since machines tin only gauge time, which would soundless non live accurate taking into consideration the variables of uncertainties inwards nature. But the fruit-bat’s eating habits give the people a fourth dimension precision inwards which to act. The fruit-bat ‘will know the fourth dimension / to fetch the fruit / inwards the night’ (Goody 1972: ll. 4591-93), eats the fruit, leaves the seed for the elders to see, in addition to and so they volition initiate their preparations for the Bagre.
The role of the damdamwule amidst Dagaaba, whose sole life depends on rain-fed agricultural practices, is inwards its powerfulness to know when the rains are due in addition to to percentage this knowledge amongst humans to allow them know that Sieong is here. The damdamwule also acts as an agricultural extension officer, telling the people through its song, when to sow what in addition to when to halt sowing. Those who turn down to recognize its pedagogy of nature through its music sow inwards vain (Goody 1972: ll. 4611-40). The weather-wise damdamwule is helped past times the n birime (featherless fowl). He or she wakes upward the people at dawn, during Sieong, to go to their farms. It performs this role past times beating its wings early on inwards the morning. The belibaar knows when Kpangkyaanee is close in addition to returns ‘from the pelting side / in addition to flies / where the Sun sets’ (Goody 1972: ll. 4651-53) to warn people to laid out preparing their barns for harvest, in addition to the Bagre. It is thus through the migratory movements of this plane that the elders are able to denote the Bagre in addition to to spot ritual prohibitions on the initiates.
Reenactment of the Hunt at the 2009 Kobine festival inwards Lawra.
The kyaalipio wakes upward women at dawn during Bagre catamenia to go in addition to fetch the H2O used inwards brewing
the beer for the Bagre ceremony (Goody 1972: ll. 4670-88) before it is dingy past times wild boars. Wild
boars are also considered spirit beings associated amongst Bagre. Bagre is a purgatorial journeying to a rebirth
in addition to hence it has prohibitions that include sexual abstinence for the neophytes, the eating of sure foods,
in addition to full general leisure. The manful someone crown-bird calls the Bagre members to acquire upward from their slumber in addition to feed
the children at midnight, so that from in addition to so on they tin laid out a fast (Goody 1972: ll. 4689-4713). Then
in that location is the old manful someone guinea fowl who tells of the flowering of beans. This way, the elders are able to
denote the arrival of Bagre. In a way, the old guinea cock’s regain of edible bean flowers inwards his farm,
cross checks the accuracy of timing of Bagre amongst the large fruit bat’s regain of shea fruits. Other birds
also component subdivision inwards the service of Bagre Mother, Tengbane, in addition to Bagre Father, Sagbane.
In improver to the way inwards which feathered creatures are treated inwards the Bagre ceremony, other animals play of import roles. Some of these animals are spirit animals in addition to are thus prohibited to Bagre. They include the duo (wild boar), the sienee (porcupine), the sasere (grass-cutter), in addition to mokpaangoo (bush guinea-fowl).
There are no reasons given inwards the narrative why these are prohibited, but nosotros do non demand to search far for
the reason. These are totemic animals, in addition to it is non allowed for ane to kill a clan totem animate beingness nether any
circumstance. In contrast to the prohibited animals, in that location are sure animals that are regarded as fit offering to the Bagre deity. They include, korenga (partridge), soangaa (rabbit/hare), kyie (squirrel), walaa (antelope). Reasons for selecting these as acceptable to the Bagre are uncertain.
It is clear from what I take away hold said higher upward that plants, animals, insects, in addition to spirit beings play a really important role inwards the Bagre performance. These roles aid to shape the spiritual, moral, intellectual, in addition to cultural characters of Dagaaba youth. They also initiate the construction of a positive environmental consciousness amidst them. For instance, unless the ceremony of the shea butter is performed, whatsoever endeavour at kickoff the Bagre performance volition live fraught amongst danger (Goody 1972: ll.780-960). Consequently, the shea tree in addition to its fruits, in addition to the role the fruit bat plays, cannot live considered purely from a materialist economical perspective, in addition to cultural backwardness. Yes, the shea tree has a lot of economical importance to the Dagaaba. But its ritual importance is what has ensured its survival inwards the human face upward of worsening environmental degradation. It is also of import to recognize the spiritual links betwixt the people, the bat, in addition to the tree. Without this recognition the tree volition live destroyed when its economical importance is no longer really relevant, in addition to its role as protector of the soil volition live terminated.
In addition, the fruitbat’s ambiguous location as a winged mammal, in addition to as ane who sees inwards the night, gives testimony to its importance inwards discovering the initiative of all fruits of the shea tree. It is carnivorous in addition to herbivorous, in addition to hangs upside downward dissimilar other winged creatures. Thus, it breaks all the boundaries associated amongst animals in addition to birds. For this reason, it is the eldest amidst the non-human elders of the Bagre. The fruit bat throws the seed of the shea fruit into the farms of humans. This enables the elders to regard in addition to laid out the physical care for of announcing the Bagre. The fruit bat’s activity also helps disperse the seeds of the tree, in addition to past times that activity it helps to expand the natural vegetation. Thus, the events carried past times the fruit bat, in addition to all the other animals, insects, in addition to birds displace humans toward a revelatory recognition of their total dependence on these other creatures. This dependence past times humans on non-human subjects is what is in addition to so re-enacted inwards the Bagre performance toward securing human happiness, health, wealth, piety, in addition to social mobility past times Dagaaba inwards their otherwise harsh surround (Goody 1972: ll.922-29).
Dagaare Music
While the music on this recording is the facial expression of a distinct ethnolinguistic group, the Dagaaba,
nevertheless, take away hold had long historical, social, cultural in addition to linguistic ties amongst other peoples of the northern
parts of Ghana, such as the Sisaala, the Waala, the Dagomba, the Frafra, the Kasena, the Builsa, the Kusaasi in addition to the Mamprusi. Thus, the musical cultures of the part percentage sure features. For instance,
the main musical instrument of the northwestern component subdivision of the province is the xylophone, which may live supported by
a drum or a drum ensemble, in addition to the scales are largely of the hemitonic in addition to anhemitonic pentatonic types,
that is, v banking concern complaint scales that include half-steps in addition to those that do not.
Music-making amidst the Dagaaba, similar other peoples of the region, is an intrinsic component subdivision of social life.
Certain types of music in addition to repertories of vocal may live associated amongst particular occasions, cults,
cooperative piece of work groups in addition to organized labour, historic catamenia groups, in addition to rites of passage. For instance, praisesongs
(danno ng) are performed regularly as a tribute to the primary patch other types of music are exclusive
to the rituals in addition to ceremonies of the regal court, such as an investiture, an assembly inwards the courtroom or
audience chamber, or a funeral. Particular types of music are identified amongst the religious cult called Bagre which holds an annual festival; or amongst traditional associations, such as the kp 3ta a , which comprises
reciprocal aid groups for immature farmers. The "anle e " social trip the low-cal fantastic is reserved for females; the fe roo is a
trip the low-cal fantastic performed past times the youth; patch the "se3gaana a" is danced mainly past times the elderly There are warrior
songs (zoore yi e le), as good as songs for farming, grinding, pounding, floor-beating, plastering, hunting
(waaron g yi e le) in addition to herding.
There are special songs for initiation ceremonies, funerals (kobie), ritual sacrifice, weddings, in addition to world naming ceremonies that occur vii days after the nascency of a kid (referred to as ‘outdooring’). On some occasions, sure types of music may live prohibited, for instance, the ba wa a is non performed when a fellow member of the community is seriously sick or when someone has died. Music may also occur as the spontaneous facial expression of private community members, such as the music for the solo bamboo flute (wu le e ), the harp (p 3na a or koriduo inwards Nandom), or the lullaby (bi-ya gleyi e le).
Finally, music is used to welcome in addition to honour of import guests in addition to visitors.
The Bawaa Dance
Group dancing is intrinsic to ritual in addition to ceremony in addition to is an of import marking of social competence. In
order, then, for an private to participate inwards a ritual he or she must live able to dance. Group dancing is
also an of import way of maintaining community solidarity. As a Dagaare vocal says: ‘If one’s kid does
non know how to dance, it does non belong to the community’.
The bawaa is a telephone telephone to immature people to brand trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to music together, indeed the term "bawaa " literally means, "young people, come upward together" (Kobina Saighoe:1984). The bawaa trip the low-cal fantastic then, is a favourite
pastime amidst the Dagaaba youth. It oftentimes occurs simply as a spontaneous facial expression of immature members
of the community when an chance arises. Mostly, however, the bawaa trip the low-cal fantastic is incorporated into
diverse celebrations, including: rites of passage marking birth, puberty, matrimony in addition to death, or to honour
an individual.
The bawaa dancers also brand upward the chorus which comprises both immature males in addition to females, including
children. One of the dancers, ordinarily a manful someone amongst the most science or experience as a dancer or instrumentalist, takes the role of atomic number 82 vocalist called the ba wa -ngmaara or the bawa-kye3r3 (‘the cutter’). The dancers are accompanied past times ii xylophonists, ane plays a ‘male’ musical instrument (gyil-daa) in addition to the other plays a ‘female’ musical instrument (gyil-nyanngaa), and a drummer who plays a single-headed drum (ganggaa).
The leader of the dance-chorus decides when ane vocal ends in addition to when a novel ane begins. The chorus,
called bawa-sagereba (or sagra: singular ‘one who agrees’), responds to the calls from the leader. The
dancers vesture metallic leg jingles (kyeem e), beaded girdles (l ebie ), metallic finger cymbals (pe ra a pl. perre ) and
sometimes metallic wrist jingles. Uniforms are sometimes worn past times the dancers but this may non live so inwards other cases.
The telephone telephone to trip the low-cal fantastic ordinarily begins amongst the clapping of finger cymbals. The ii xylophone players, who
sit down contrary each other amongst the drummer side past times side to them, laid out patch the crowd gathers about the dance
area. The dancers in addition to so acquire inwards the expanse in addition to shape a circle about the musicians, dancing inwards either an anticlockwise or clockwise direction.
The main component subdivision of the trip the low-cal fantastic consists of an alternation betwixt ii sections. The initiative of all department is called the See`o during which they perform a vocal inwards telephone telephone in addition to response fashion. This is followed past times a to a greater extent than intense
department called a` emmo` (‘to set in’). During this section, the trip the low-cal fantastic becomes to a greater extent than intense as the dancers
synchronize their steps amongst heavy syncopated accents in addition to displays of skill. In Accra, a do has
developed whereby individuals or pairs acquire out the circle for competitive displays of skill. The whole dance
ceremony oftentimes has a ‘director’ called the bawaa-naa who does non participate inwards the trip the low-cal fantastic trial itself,
but who oversees the entire performance. This cycle is repeated whatsoever number of times for each song, until
such times as the leader signals a novel vocal in addition to the cycle begins again.
When the dancers demo signs of tiring ane of the xylophone players gives a signal to halt the dance. In the
hamlet setting the dancers simply stop, patch inwards Accra a to a greater extent than formal organisation exists whereby the
dancers acquire out the circle inwards a unmarried line. Generally, a performance lasts betwixt 20 in addition to 30 minutes. (click hither for Bawaa dance: http://shelf3d.com/4pOzOarwnZI#Bewaa Dance Of The Dagaaba People.)
Kobine Dance
Kobine is a traditional trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to festival unique to the Lawra expanse of northward western Ghana. The trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to the festival named after it are celebrated inwards September in addition to Oct to score the halt of a successful harvest.
Festival.
The festival of Kobine lasts 4 days, amongst the initiative of all solar daytime usually reserved for visiting solid unit of measurement in addition to friends. The 2nd in addition to tertiary days are the official holidays. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 procession of the solid unit of measurement heads is accompanied past times groups of younger people dressed to stand upward for hunters in addition to elephants.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of speeches are made past times dignitaries in addition to other guests of honour before the Kobine trip the low-cal fantastic contest begins.
Ethnic Dagaaba people performing Kobine trip the low-cal fantastic atKobine festival inwards Lawra, Upper West Region
The Kobine music is produced from kuor, a drum musical instrument amongst a base of operations made from a gourd, in addition to dalar, a smaller drum made from the cervix of a clay pot.
The men usually clothing inwards beautifully decorated skirts, but are usually bare-chested to demonstrate their masculinity as good as their flexibility patch they dance. Other ornaments such as headgear in addition to caps are worn. The women clothing similarly to the men, except they mostly volition vesture a blouse. Both men in addition to women vesture a band of bells about the ankles to accentuate their rhythmic moves when they dance.
The trip the low-cal fantastic itself consists of quick rhythmic moves especially amongst the body or upper body. At the peak moves catamenia of the dance, the women volition mostly cutting inwards in addition to trip the low-cal fantastic inwards forepart of their favorite manful someone dancer.
Dagaaba Gyil
The Dagaare Xylophone (Gyil)
Dagaare xylophones are ordinarily played inwards pairs, facing each other. The Dagaare xylophones (gyi l, pl. gy ile ) recorded inwards Kogri-Ullo take away hold 18 keys patch those inwards the Dagaare social clubs inwards Accra take away hold 17 keys. The keys (gyi l bi `r, lit. "seed") are tied together amongst antelope enshroud in addition to mounted over a enshroud cushion on a wooden frame. Gourd resonators (ko`or, pl. ko`o) graduated inwards size are suspended nether each key. Two or iii holes nigh 2-3cm inwards diameter are bored into each gourd in addition to covered amongst a spider’s egg instance ( pempenee)
to increment the resonance in addition to to create a buzzing effect.
The lastly in addition to lowest key (za` ngbaal) does non take away hold a resonator as it is used for playing a repeated rhythmic ostinato (kpaaroo) The other keys are played amongst a wooden beater (gyildoo`le) nigh 30cm long, covered amongst safe at the head. The tuning of the Dagaare xylophone is pentatonic (anhemitonic) in addition to has a make of ii octaves. (further readings: http://www.michaelvercelli.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Vercelli_DMA_Document1.pdf)
The accompanying drums are ordinarily single-headed (gangare ), though a gourd drum (koo`re) usually
reserved for funerals, was used inwards the Accra performances
Death in addition to Afterlife
There is a full general belief inwards life after death, in addition to funeral ceremonies are the way past times which the actual
passage of a human beingness from the Land of the Living (tengzu) to the Land of Dead (dapaarewie) is effected. The dead go across the river of expiry amongst the assist of a ferryman; during the trip, those who take away hold led evil lives may live punished for their misdeeds. In the course of instruction of the serial of funeral ceremonies, a dead adult man also becomes an ancestor, amongst a shrine that volition thereafter have regular offerings of nutrient in addition to imbibe from his descendants, especially from those who take away hold inherited from him.
Additionally, ancestor reverence in addition to abide by for the belief inwards the powerfulness of the ancestors to protect, guide, in addition to offering showers of approving to the living, may live considered as the most of import aspects of the human relationship betwixt the living in addition to their supernatural agents. The ancestors are never dead. They merely
go on to live inwards the other world of spirits in addition to serve as media betwixt their relatives in addition to the spirits in addition to gods.
Funeral: Death, especially of infants, was frequent. Those who take away hold non yet been weaned are non mourned inwards the usual way, except past times their mothers, because they are deemed to live wandering spirits, rather than humans. Precautions are taken against their render to this earth.
For all others, however, the funeral rites are long in addition to complex, in addition to they involve the participation of many people. All funeral rituals amidst the Dagaaba involve musicians, mourners in addition to the assembled villagers in addition to guests from neighboring villages. The music grouping usually consists of xylophonists, drummers in addition to singers. The singers improvise, recreate in addition to reproduce through their songs the history of the solid unit of measurement upward to the expiry that resulted inwards the separation. The theme of the songs is a combination of the deeds in addition to sorrows of the family. The best vocalist is ane who tin stir the maximum plane of grief inwards the chief-mourners (kotuodeme, the closest relatives of the diseased) past times his choice of words. The effect of the words of the singers is echoed in addition to amplified past times the tunes of the xylophones in addition to the sounds of the drums, moving the community to grieve freely.
Wailing, screaming, groaning, running, jumping, dancing in addition to singing are all acceptable ways of expressing grief. Shedding of tears is highly recommended in addition to admired. The kotuodeme are expected to shed a lot of tears in addition to acquit inwards a way that stirs sympathizers to percentage the grief to the fullest past times shedding as many tears as
possible.
The dead person, dressed inwards ceremonial outfit, is seated on a high wooden stool called paala, in addition to surrounded past times her/his valuable possessions. The stool is constructed from a special variety of tree. The singers, drummers in addition to xylophonists are usually non far from the corpse in addition to the entire funeral expanse is marked past times turmoil in addition to turbulence, as people human activity out their grief patch others essay to command themselves inwards monastic enjoin to calm downward some of the kotuodeme from fourth dimension to time. The kotuodeme are tagged amongst ropes (much similar leashes) for identification purposes in addition to for slow command past times people who may want to calm them downward past times holding on to the rope. The to a greater extent than contributions in addition to ropes ane sent to other kotuodeme inwards the past, the to a greater extent than ropes in addition to contributions ane is probable to have when ane becomes a kotuosobo (singular for kotuodeme).
Reciprocity is the guiding regulation here. Although many people are probable to halt past times at a funeral before continuing their daily business, the to a greater extent than funerals the deceased in addition to kotuodeme attended, the to a greater extent than probable the funeral volition live crowded past times sympathizers from all walks of life. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 well-attended funeral is an indication that the household has a high social reputation.
The length of funerals varies betwixt ane to v days. The lastly solar daytime is marked past times the burial of the dead person. There are usually designated grave diggers in addition to specially trained people who do the actual burying, for it is believed the dead is capable of preventing ane from exiting the grave in ane trial the burial physical care for is nigh to end. Renowned witches in addition to medicine people are especially notorious for challenging the under-takers. In such instances, only as toughened witches or medicine people who take away hold been trained to bury the dead volition live entrusted amongst the work at hand.
Highly respected elders are usually buried inwards the middle of the solid unit of measurement chemical compound or inwards forepart of the solid unit of measurement solid rather than inwards the cemetery. This is to hold them unopen to the solid unit of measurement who are constantly beingness watched over past times the dead elderberry or ancestor. From fourth dimension to time, libation may live poured in addition to sacrifices made on the grave. On other informal occasions, the grave may serve as a resting spot for naps in addition to for relaxing in addition to chatting. The elders do non play an of import only after their death, but also patch they are alive.
Sources:http://www.linguistics.hku.hk/staff/Bodomo/JDS/2004/JDS2004_Kuwabong.pdf
http://www.linguistics.hku.hk/staff/Bodomo/JDS/JDS2002_Alenuma.pdf
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3458001518.html
Economic in addition to Sociocultural Aspects of Cowrie Currency of the Dagaaba of Northwestern Republic of Ghana Aspects
EMMANUEL YIRIDOE
University of Guelph, Canada
The cowrie currency, the dominant medium of substitution inwards Republic of Ghana before the introduction of the West African Pound and, later, the Cedi, is at nowadays simply a vestigial relic inwards virtually all of modern Republic of Ghana except amidst the Dagaaba. This newspaper provides an insider's perspective on the economical importance in addition to on the unique role of the cowrie currency amidst the Dagaaba that explains its perpetual presence. Cultural uses do a derived demand for cowries. Government policies final result inwards debasement of the cedi and, together amongst monetary characteristics of the cowrie, atomic number 82 to contest betwixt the cedi in addition to the cowrie.
Dagaaba people of Jirapa celebrating their Bong Ngo festival. Courtesy http://adbarnes17.blogspot.com/
The concentration of their settlement is found on their dry soil proper, called Dagaabaland. Dagaabaland stretches from the Northwestern corner of Republic of Ghana to the West banks of the Black Volta River inwards Burkina Faso in addition to inwards the Ivory Coast. Kuukure (1985:23) aptly describes the location of the Dagaaba as follows:
"The Dagarti people... live on both sides of the Black Volta River, which at that dot forms
the boundary betwixt the Republic of Republic of Ghana in addition to Cote d'Ivoire in addition to Upper Volta [now
Burkina Faso]. These people live largely inwards the Northwestern corner of Ghana, spreading
across the border into Upper Volta, correct upward to the 12 parallel north. They are
concentrated especially about the expanse where longitude 3 westward in addition to latitude xi north
cross. But they lean out along the Volta, practically astride longitude 3 west, southward to
latitude l0 north. As a final result of colonisation, which split them upward into zones of British and
French influence, they at nowadays live inwards ii different nations, namely Republic of Ghana in addition to Upper Volta,
non to shout out the sprinkling of them cutting off inwards Ivory Coast." Note: Upper Volta is the sometime shout out of Burkina Faso.
Dagaaba dancers at their annual Bong Ngo festival at Jirapa, Upper West Region, Ghana. Courtesy http://adbarnes17.blogspot.com/
The Dagaaba (Dagarti/Dagao) are renowned for beingness the lastly people inwards the modern world to merchandise in addition to transact commerce amongst precious cowries. Cowries are soundless used as a shape of safety bonds just as people merchandise inwards gold, inwards barter merchandise as good as a shape of bride-price inwards Dagawie (Dagaabaland).
The actual shout out of these people is Dagaaba or Lo Dagaa but most outsiders telephone telephone them Dagarti. One historian, describing the sometime usage of "Dagarti" to refer to this community past times colonials, writes :
"The shout out 'Dagarti' appears to take away hold been coined past times the initiative of all Europeans to see the region, from the vernacular root dagaa. Correctly 'Dagari' is the shout out of the language, 'Dagaaba' or 'Dagara' that of the people, in addition to 'Dagaw' or 'Dagawie' that of the land." They are related to the Birifor people in addition to the Dagaare Diola. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone from Dagarti or Dagaaba tribe is known as Dagao.
Dagao adult woman from Bonduku inwards Ivory Coast
Historically, the origins of Dagaaba people has been a complex mystery to tackle. However, the evidence of oral tradition is that the Dagaaba are an outgrowth of the Mole-Dagbani grouping (either Mossi or Dagomba) which migrated to the semi-arid Sahel part inwards the fourteenth century CE. They are believed to take away hold farther migrated to the lower northern component subdivision of the part inwards the seventeenth century. In his article "Customary Law of the Dagara” of Northern Ghana: Indigenous Rules or a Social Construction," published inwards 2002 edition of Journal of Dagaare Studies, Vol 2, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor quoting other sources posited that "The dominant thesis has it that the Dagara are a rebel grouping that migrated away from the autocratic dominion of Dagbon, nether the legendary Na Nyanse (see Tuurey, 1982; Lentz, 1997).
Dagaaba people performing Bewaa trip the low-cal fantastic Kakube Festival at Nandom
The Dagaaba people amongst total population of over 2 ane one one thousand thousand people take away hold the larger per centum of its population residing inwards Ghana. They are found inwards Upper West Region of Republic of Ghana in addition to reside predominantly inwards Lawra, Nadowli, Jirapa, Nandom, Lambussie, Kaleo, Bole, Birifu, Tugu, Daffiama, Wechiau in addition to Hamile. Large communities are also found inwards the towns of Wa, Bogda, Babile, Tuna, Han in addition to Nyoli.
Burkina Faso has the 2nd highest concentration of Dagaaba people in addition to they tin live found in Sud-Ouest Region, especially inwards Ioba Province, but also inwards Poni, Bougouriba, Sissili, in addition to Mouhoun provinces.
In Cote d'Ivoire where in that location are smaller concentration of Dagaaba; they tin live found inwards the districts of Bonduku in addition to Buna.
Dagaaba people dancing to gyil (Xylophone) music at Nandom, Upper West Region, Ghana
Among the ethnic groups inwards Northern Ghana, the Dagaaba or Dagarti are number ane ethnic grouping known for their social mobility from the North to the South long before British colonization of Gold Coast (Ghana). There is a saying/proverb amidst the Dagaaba that "ka biε ba yor, u kun bang dunia (lit. if a kid does non travel, he/she volition non know the world). In his piece of work published in Nordic Journal of African Studies 17(1): 1–19 (2008) entitled "”Ka Biε Ba Yor": Labor Migration amidst the Dagaaba of the Upper West Region of Ghana, 1936– 1957" Gariba B. Abdul-Korah asserted that Dagaaba migration to the Southern Republic of Ghana was cypher new, as it has been erroneously claimed past times some historians that it started in the belatedly 1890s, when the British colonial direction inwards the northward gave impetus to Dagaaba migration past times recruiting labour to piece of work inwards the south. He posited that "Dagaaba migration to southern Republic of Ghana betwixt 1936 in addition to 1957 was an jeopardy – “to regard the world” in addition to gain experience. It did non laid out amongst colonial conquest; it had its roots inwards the precolonial past times – inwards the slave trade, but to a greater extent than especially, inwards the catamenia next Asante’s defeat of Gonja (18th century) through the Zabarima in addition to Samorian invasions of the northwest inwards the belatedly 19th century. Although the imposition of colonial dominion may take away hold transformed the nature in addition to pattern of migration, Dagaaba migration to southern Republic of Ghana during the colonial period, was non new."
The Dagaaba (Dagarti) are famous for steadily gained popularity of the gyil (xylophone) used inwards playing indigenous in addition to folkloric songs. Although the dry soil inhabited past times the Dagarti is far from whatsoever major city, musicians take away hold brought the gyil to national in addition to international audiences. Communicating as performers in addition to teachers across cultural divides is oftentimes challenging. In recent times ane of their contemporary Hiplife music creative someone is "Batman Samini aka Emmanuel Andrew Samini, the MOBO Awards 2006 winner from Ghana.
Dagarti adult man in addition to ane of Ghana`s best Musicians, Batman Samini
Like the Tallensi in addition to Sisaala, the Dagaaba admit the value in addition to the tremendous powerfulness of the dry soil (Tengan 1989). The Dagaaba or Dagara farther admit that dry soil belongs solely to the Tengan (Earth Shrine). They also regard pelting as an indispensable source of life. It is desired in addition to accorded great respect. As amongst the Sisaala, the Dagara are subsistence farmers who depend primarily on rainfed agriculture (Tengan 1989). From this province of affairs of dependence on rainfed agriculture emerge many taboos connected amongst the land, the pelting in addition to the Tengan. One of these taboos is the Tako daa.
The Dagarti are also known for their whirling "Tigari" trip the low-cal fantastic (healing ritual dance) in addition to Bawa trip the low-cal fantastic as good as the Bagre in addition to the Dyoro Secret Societies.
The Dagaaba shares friendly jokes based on "dog head" amongst their beau Mabia group, the Frafra people.
Ethnic Dagaaba dancer
The Dagaaba people take away hold produced some prominent people for Republic of Ghana as a nation. The listing include Chief Simon_Diedong_Dombo, a King, politician, instructor in addition to the Parliamentary Leader during the initiative of all Republic of Ghana, Cardinal Peter Proeku Dery, an assistant traditional (fetish) priest turned Ghanaian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Ambrose P Dery, sometime attorney-General of Republic of Ghana in addition to Member of Parliament for Lawra, Naa Abeifaa Karbo, traditional ruler, sharp politico in addition to founding fellow member of Northern Peoples Party, Jatoe Kaleo, traditional ruler, sharp politico in addition to founding fellow member of Northern Peoples Party, Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri aka Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II, sometime Inspector General of Police (IGP) inwards Republic of Ghana in addition to the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area, Bede_Ziedeng, Ghanaian politico in addition to the sometime Upper West Regional Minister of Ghana, Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle, renowned dermatologist, sharp entrepreneur cum politico in addition to sometime chairman of opposition Convention Peoples Party (CPP) of the belatedly Ghanaian leader Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Alban Bagbin, Ghanaian politician, sometime Minister of Health inwards the Ghana, sometime minority leader in addition to the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West, Benjamin Kunbuor, Ghanaian politician, constabulary lecturer, Member of Parliament for Lawra, sometime Minister for Justice in addition to Attorney General, Minister for Health, Minister for Interior in addition to currently government minister of Defence, Prof. Adams B. Bodomo, professor of African Studies (African Languages in addition to Literatures), prolific author in addition to publisher/editor of Journal of Dagaare studies, etc.
Chief Simon Diedong Dombo (SD Dombo), ethnic Dagaaba/Dagarti man, ane of the Ghana`s earliest most celebrated in addition to charismatic politician, renowned primary of Duori in addition to the founding fellow member in addition to leader of the Northern People’s Party (NPP) in addition to Pogress Party (UP), which off-shot is the Ghana`s biggest opposition party,New Patriotic Party (NPP). Dombo was one-time the only lone vociferous opposition vocalism inwards Republic of Ghana when Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared Republic of Ghana as One-Party State. His shout out was popularized as "Domocracy."l
Clusters of Dagaaba
The terms "LoDagaa" in addition to "Lobi-Dagarti" (or Dagara) are used for a cluster of peoples situated across the frontier of Burkina Faso in addition to Ghana, originally grouped together past times Labouret, next the usage of Delafosse in addition to other francophones. In this cluster, Labouret included the "true Lobi" (or those the Birifor telephone telephone the "LoWilisi") about Gaoua, who (according to Westermann in addition to Bryan 1952) speak a Dogon-type linguistic communication (the inclusion of Dogon is disputed); the Birifor (or LoBirifor) to their east, who speak Dagara, a Mole-Dagbane language; in addition to 4 smaller groups: the Teguessié, the Dorossié, the Dian, in addition to the Gan. The Teguessié (or Tégué) speak a linguistic communication of the Kulango Group in addition to are sometimes thought of as the autochthons; they were Masters of the ground inwards much of the area. The other little groups speak languages related to Lobiri, as do the Padoro in addition to peradventure the Komono; Dian in addition to Lobiri (in the east) are to a greater extent than closely related, as is the western group.
Dagaaba women
Subsequently, Père (1988) adopted the francophone usage of Lobi ("la région Lobi") to concealment the peoples of the Gaoua District of Burkina Faso, including non only the Jãa (Dian); the Gaàn (Gan); the Teésé (Teguessié); the Dòcsè (or Dorossié, but also the Kùlãgo [Kulango]); the Dagara (divided into Dagara Lobr in addition to Dagara Wiili [Oulé]); in addition to the Pwa (formerly known as the Pugula or Pougouli), who speak a Grusi language. Indeed, because she is dealing amongst the region, she also includes the Wala in addition to the Dagara-Jula inwards her account.
Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, ethnic Dagaaba, Ghanaian politician, sometime Minister of Health inwards the Ghana, sometime minority leader in addition to the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West.
The problems of ethnic classification inwards this expanse are several. In the initiative of all place, names differ, depending on whether they are used past times francophones or past times anglophones. The Lobi described past times Rattray (1932) include the Birifor as good as the Dagara of Labouret. Second, the names take away hold changed over time. People who were known as "Lobi" inwards the Lawra District of Republic of Ghana at the kickoff of the nineteenth century are at nowadays "Dagara." Third, the names themselves oftentimes do non depict distinct ethnic groups. There are many differences inwards custom in addition to organisation betwixt neighboring settlements, in addition to these settlements may live referred to past times the ii quasi-directional terms, "Lo" (Lobi, west) in addition to "Dagaa" (east), to distinguish different practices (for example, the usage of xylophones). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 settlement may spot amongst its eastern neighbors on ane occasion (as Dagaa) in addition to amongst its western ones (as Lo) on another. This histrion usage has led Goody to spot a spectrum of peoples, the LoDagaa, who usage these names for reference to themselves in addition to others. They are, from westward to east, the truthful Lobi, the Birifor or LoBirifor, the LoPiel (around Nandom) in addition to the LoSaala (around Lawra), the Dagara (around Dano), the LoWiili (around Birifu), both DagaaWiili (around Tugu), in addition to the Dagaba or Dagarti. The Wala speak the Dagaba linguistic communication in addition to constitute a little province that has its origins eastward inwards Dagomba. That province established itself as ruler over the southern Dagaba in addition to some Grusi-speaking peoples. In the west, a branch of the ruling dynasty extended across the Black Volta to Buna, where they adapted the local Kulango language. The LoPiel in addition to the LoSaala are known to francophones as "Dagara" (or Dagara-Lobr), in addition to they at nowadays mostly usage this term rather than "Lobi" for self-reference because they take away hold been forced to assort themselves unambiguously for administrative purposes. That alter is widespread because "Dagara" is oftentimes a to a greater extent than prestigious term than "Lobi." The latter is associated inwards many people's minds amongst the large lip plugs of gourd or metallic that are worn inwards the westward (the easterners vesture lean metallic plugs) in addition to amongst the stress that the westerners spot on matrilineal inheritance, nigh which modernizers (church, schools, law, some administrators) mostly experience hostile in addition to ambivalent.
Dr Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor, Ethnic Dagaaba man, Ghanaian politician, constabulary lecturer, Member of Parliament for Lawra, sometime Minister for Justice in addition to Attorney General, Minister for Health, Minister for Interior in addition to currently government minister of Defence
Given these contextual, overlapping, in addition to changing usages past times the peoples themselves, histrion names are rarely satisfactory to dot "tribal" groups, past times which nosotros refer to larger groupings of settlements amongst relatively homogeneous practices. These groups tin live distinguished, roughly from eastward to west, as the Dagaba or Dagarti (around Jirapa); the LoPiel (around Nandom) in addition to the LoSaala (around Lawra), both "Dagara Lobr" inwards French; the DagaaWiili (around Legmoin in addition to Tugu) in addition to the LoWiili (around Birifu), both "Dagara Wiilé" inwards French; the Birifor or LoBirifor (around Batié in addition to inwards western Gonja); in addition to the Lobi or LoWiilisi (around Gaoua). There are, inwards addition, the smaller populations of Gan, Dorossié, in addition to Gian, who speak Lobi languages, in addition to Teguessié, in addition to who speak Kulango. These groups tin live collectively designated as the LoDagaa or Lobi-Dagarti cluster, in that location beingness no argue to exclude the other Dagara-speaking peoples in ane trial the Birifor take away hold been included amidst the Lobi.
Dagaaba kids coming from the farm inwards photo-shot amongst Kirstin, fellow member of Vetinarians Without Borders, at Nadowli, Upper West Region, Ghana. Courtesy http://vwbvsfstudentghana2010.blogspot.com/
Dagaaba Creation Story/Myth
The Dagaaba creation story tin live found in Bagre performance that demonstrates the spiritual importance of the surround to Dagaaba. According to Dannabang Kuwabong "Bagre informs us that humans were created from a combination of the soil (earth), okra (plants), God’s saliva (water), in addition to the semen in addition to eggs of flies in addition to cats (animals). Seen this way, the human someone is a configuration of the land, the animal, the spirit, in addition to the flora in addition to nosotros owe our lives to a preservation of the remainder betwixt us in addition to these initiative of all beings. In other words, animals, plants, spirits, in addition to the dry soil must constantly live negotiated amongst as they take away hold a closer affinity amongst the divine who oversees everything. That explains why Dagaaba regard spirituality inwards every creation in addition to situation."
Dagao adult man from Burkina Faso
Language
The Dagaaba speaks the Dagaare language ((also spelled Dagare, Dagari, Dagarti, Dagaran or, Dagao), which belongs to the Oti-Volta grouping of the Gur branch of the Niger-Congo linguistic communication solid unit of measurement (Swadesh 1966, Bendor-Samuel1971:144, Naden 1989).
Ethnic Dagao Cardinal Peter Poreku Dery.
Dagaare is a two-toned linguistic communication also referred to as Mabia subgroup of the branch of the Niger-Congo linguistic communication of West Africa. (Bodomo 1997, Bodomo 2000, Anttila in addition to Bodomo 2001). It is spoken past times nigh 2 ane one one thousand thousand people, mainly inwards Republic of Ghana but also inwards neighbouring regions of West Africa, similar Burkina Faso in addition to the Ivory Coast. Phonologically speaking, Dagaare in addition to other Mabia languages, including Moore, Dagbane, Frafra, Kusaal, Mampruli in addition to Buli, are marked past times a preponderance of consonants in addition to a scarcity of vowel sounds when compared to Indo-European languages, such as English linguistic communication in addition to French (Bodomo, forthcoming). One distinctive phonological characteristic is the double joint of some consonants. These include labio-velar
stops similar /gb/ /kp/ in addition to /ngm/. Such features, rare inwards Indo-European languages, are a mutual characteristic in
many African languages. The labio-velar in addition to velar sounds are partially complementary, as inwards the alternate
causative/non-causative forms of the verbs k/ kp i, ‘die’ inwards Dagaare. Regular allophones oftentimes involve /d/ in addition to /r/, in addition to /g/ in addition to // across the diverse languages. There may also live limited cases of gratis variation as it is betwixt /h/ in addition to /z/ inwards the Dagaare word, ha a / za a , ‘all’.
There is the typological characteristic of vowel harmony inwards Dagaare in addition to many Mabia languages. Words similar ko go
(‘chair’), bi i ri (‘(‘children’), in addition to tu u ro (‘digging’) are pronounced amongst tense or advanced natural language root vowels, patch words similar k)b) (‘bones’), biiri (‘to brew “pito” the 2nd day’), tuur) (‘insulting’) are pronounced amongst lax or unadvanced natural language root vowels. Front rounded vowels, found inwards languages similar French in addition to Norwegian, in addition to dorsum unrounded vowels are absent inwards these languages, except when phonetically realized inwards particular environments.
Syllabic nasality is also a typological characteristic inwards these languages. These are realized inwards some environments,
most oftentimes as pronouns in addition to particles; as inwards the instance of the Dagaare tertiary someone pronoun /N/ as inwards m `ba , (‘my father’), n`zu (‘my head’) in addition to inwards the Dagaare particle, -N which is a cliticized shape of the polarity
marker, la.
Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri aka Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II, Ethnic Dagarti adult man in addition to sometime Inspector General of Police (IGP) inwards Republic of Ghana in addition to the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area inwards his smock sitting inwards the middle. Courtesy FH Communications Bureau
Dagaare in addition to other Mabia languages primarily take away hold ii tonal systems, high in addition to low, (respectively marked
past times acuate in addition to grave diachritics on the sounds amongst contain them) amongst cases of downstep inwards some of the
languages, i.e. subsequent high tones may non live as high as preceeding ones. These tones serve to express
both lexical in addition to grammatical oppositions as inwards the Dagaare verbs, da` (‘push’), /da` (‘buy’), in addition to as inwards the
declarative in addition to hortative readings of pronouns e.g.u` kuli la yiri / `u` kuli la yiri ((‘He went home/ He should
go home’).
Dagaare, in addition to its grouping of languages, usually manifest opened upward syllables. Both CV in addition to CVC syllables tin be
reconstructed, but it is usually possible to insert a lastly syllable. Thus, the Dagaare verb ‘to leave’, may live realized either as bar` or bar i`. There are also dialectal differences amongst abide by to these ii forms.
.An of import typological characteristic of these languages is the scheme of substantive classes. Noun class
manifestation is a mutual characteristic for Niger-Congo languages, but patch most of these languages usage a
prefixal pattern, i.e. cases inwards which nominal inflections occur before, rather than, after the root, Mabia
languages mostly usage a scheme of grade suffixes. These are typically based on singular/plural alternations.
Most nouns be inwards iii forms: the root, the singular, in addition to the plural. An illustration is the Dagaare give-and-take for
‘woman/wife’: p)g- (root), p)ga (singular), p) gba (plural), amongst the farther vowel assimilation inwards some
dialects to give us p)g)` in addition to p)gb).
Bede Ziedeng, Ethnic Dagao in addition to Ghanaian politico in addition to the sometime Upper West Regional Minister of Ghana
Another of import typological characteristic within Dagaare in addition to its grouping of languages is verb morphology. In
most of these languages in that location is a regular shape of marking perfective in addition to imperfective aspects past times adding
suffixes to the verbs, as inwards zoe` ‘have run’ in addition to zoro` ‘running’.
As far as possible, the diverse texts associated amongst the music on this recording are presented amongst tonal
transcriptions. For phrases in addition to larger chunks of data, nosotros provide interlinear glossings. These glossings
provide interesting insights into the grammatical in addition to communicative construction of the Dagaare language.
Finally, gratis translations follow the glosses to capture salient aspects of the linguistic in addition to cultural meaning
behind these texts. This linguistic information transcription is an of import aspect for the analysis and
interpretation of the music texts. The next is an illustration:
Ka` Ne3` bi`eng wa` b)ng ba`waa tenee` paal`ong bi`e naa
COMP person Child. FOC NEG know ba`waa 1. PL area kid NEG
(‘If a kid doesn’t know how to trip the low-cal fantastic baawaa s/he cannot peradventure live a kid from our town.’)
Ethnic Dagao, Mr Ambrose Dery, Ghana`s sometime Attorney-Genera in addition to government minister of Justice in addition to a sometime Member of Parliament for Lawra
History
The Dagaaba take away hold occupied their acquaint homeland for some iii hundred years. H Labouret, inwards his study of migration inwards this area, suggests that the Dagaaba moved north, from due south of Wa, inwards nigh 1680; G Tuurey (1982) holds that the Dagaaba were originally a grouping which split away from the Dagomba. See also Herbert (1976). Bodomo suggests that the Dagaaba, Mossi, Dagomba, Kusasi, Farefare, Mamprusi in addition to others are direct descended from a mutual ancestor ethnolinguistic group, the Mabia.
In his article "Customary Law of the Dagara” of Northern Ghana: Indigenous Rules or a Social Construction," published inwards 2002 edition of Journal of Dagaare Studies, Vol 2, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor quoting other sources posited that "The dominant thesis has it that the Dagara are a rebel grouping that migrated away from the autocratic dominion of Dagbon, nether the legendary Na Nyanse (see Tuurey, 1982; Lentz, 1997).Retinue og Dagaaba chiefs, drummers in addition to dancers at annual Bong Ngo festival at Jirapa
The Lobi-Dagarti peoples are without whatsoever overarching tribal organisation or, strictly speaking, whatsoever territory. They displace non as large units, but as solid unit of measurement groups, sometimes into other ethnic areas, where they may live absorbed into the local population. Most of the groups to the westward of the Black Volta claim to take away hold been formerly settled to the eastward of the river, inwards what is at nowadays Ghana. From the eighteenth century on, they take away hold moved across the river. There appear to take away hold been Lobi as good as Dagaba inwards the Wa expanse when the ruling dynasty arrived; the Jãa were surely settled inwards the Lawra expanse until, attracted past times a sparsely populated part amongst plenty of farmland in addition to wood create in addition to nether pressure level from other LoDagaa, mainly from the due south in addition to southwest (but fifty-fifty from westward of the river), they crossed the Black Volta. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minority of clans draw their origins from other regions.
One of the factors leading to the motion has been the search for to a greater extent than in addition to improve land, next before hunting expeditions. Another factor has been the raids mounted past times the states of the part (as good as past times the occasional freebooters in addition to adventurers) inwards their search for slaves, partly for their ain usage but mainly to render the Asante and, through them, the Europeans inwards the south. The invaders on horseback terrified the inhabitants, who sometimes retaliated amongst poisoned arrows. Mainly, however, they fled, using the larger rivers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of characteristics—their dispersed settlements of fortress-type houses, the women's lip plugs, their rejection of cloth, in addition to their full general aggressiveness—have been attributed to the effects of such raids. In the belatedly twentieth century houses are smaller, the way of clothing is to a greater extent than "European," in addition to less hostility is displayed.
The establishment of the international boundary has brought nigh a decline inwards east-west migration. The main motion of the Lobi inwards the belatedly twentieth century has been of ii kinds. The initiative of all has been from the Lawra District to the vacant lands southward on the route to Kumasi, which many men take away hold traveled inwards the dry out flavor as migrant laborers. Settlements that create nutrient for sale inwards the markets take away hold grown upward from Wa due south to the northwest of Asante. The 2nd movement, kickoff inwards 1917, has been eastward across the Black Volta from the francophone territories to Ghana, where in that location were fewer calls past times the regime on task services. Many Birifor moved into the sparsely populated lands of western Gonja, which had been decimated as a final result of Samori's wars at the halt of the nineteenth century. These migrants take away hold proved to live much to a greater extent than aggressive, market-oriented farmers than their hosts, amongst whom in that location has been some conflict over taxes in addition to representation.
Beautiful Dagaaba immature adult woman grinding grain
Settlement
Settlements inwards the expanse consist of named units that are usually centered on a specific parish or ritual expanse of an ground shrine. Among the Dagaaba, most houses are made of mud and/or cement amongst either thatched, laterite or aluminum roofs. These settlements are inhabited past times members of several exogamous lineages housed inwards fortress-type compounds amongst 2.5meter-high walls, a apartment roofs, in addition to entrances reached (at to the lowest degree formerly) past times wooden ladders to the roofs. These houses are some 100 meters apart in addition to contain an average of xv persons, but they vary inwards size, depending on the province of the developmental cycle of the domestic group. Around the walls lies the chemical compound farm, which is fertilized past times human detritus in addition to is used past times the women to flora their soup vegetables. It is adjoined past times spot farms; bush farms prevarication much farther away. The settlements consist of some 250 to 750 inhabitants.
Each of these compounds is inhabited by, amidst others, an simple family, consisting of a man, his married adult woman or wives in addition to children. Such a solid unit of measurement is established through marriage.
Dagaaba people
Economy
Subsistence in addition to Commercial Activities. The economic scheme is essentially ane of the hoe farming of cereals (sorghum, pennisetum [pearl millet], maize), together amongst some yams, especially inwards the southern areas that are occupied past times migrants. In addition, people grow squashes, peppers, beans (including Bambara beans), groundnuts, in addition to a piffling rice. Some of this create is sold inwards the local markets, especially sorghum inwards the shape of beer. Most compounds also possess a herd of cows, in addition to some sheep, goats, guinea fowl, in addition to chickens, which are mainly killed as sacrifices to live distributed.
Dagarti farmers inwards their farm at Jirapa
Industrial Arts in addition to Trade. Lobi women create a sure amount of gold, which finds its way into the hands of Dyula traders. Associated amongst before gilt workings, it has been suggested, are the ruins of stone houses. Since the advent of colonial rule, the relative peace that it brought nigh in addition to the cheaper atomic number 26 tools that it provided take away hold led to increased production, evidence of which tin live seen inwards the markets. That increment is also truthful for livestock. Along amongst wage task (performed either locally or as migrants), these developments take away hold increased purchasing power. Whereas piffling was imported before except salt, at nowadays large amounts of textile are brought in, in addition to other manufactured objects, such as matches, bicycles, transistor radios, in addition to household utensils, are used inwards considerable quantities. Local arts and crafts production consists of atomic number 26 implements, brass bangles in addition to other ornaments, musical instruments, some wood carvings, in addition to woven mats.
Today migration—both of the uneducated, seeking piece of work as laborers, in addition to of the educated, who mostly piece of work inwards the towns—is frequent. The historic catamenia of migrants is at nowadays much lower than formerly, in addition to the duration of their absences is much greater. The final result is that larger numbers of houses are inhabited past times old men, women, in addition to children who take away hold to carry out the agricultural piece of work without the aid they would take away hold received from the migrants. Thus, the sexual partitioning of task has been altered. The south, however, is kickoff to lose some of its attraction as the international economic scheme affects the recruitment of labor, potential recruits are frightened past times tales of AIDS.
The LoDagaa (including the Lobi) were non themselves traders (except inwards the province of Wa), but major north-south merchandise routes of Dyula in addition to Hausa merchants ran through the expanse from the wood to the Sahel.
Food
Some of the differences that be betwixt the Dagaare-speaking communities are somehow subtle in addition to non easily noticeable past times the on-looker. For example, although the staple dish amidst the Dagaaba is saabo or Sao (called "to" inwards many other African languages), the constitution/texture of this millet, sorghum or maize-based repast may vary from ane community to the other. In addition, the soup that is eaten amongst the saabo may live prepared inwards a slightly different way inwards spite of the fact that virtually the same ingredients may live used inwards each case. Meat is non considered an of import food, except inwards special meals for instance at funerals. Apart from these occasions, only guinea fowl are slaughtered for regular consumption.
Division of Labor
Farming was mostly done past times men, but women helped amongst the planting in addition to the harvesting. In some places, women would organize men to farm for a friend past times brewing plenty of beer. Women cultivated soup vegetables, collected wood produce, carried loads, gathered firewood, fetched water, extracted oil, in addition to prepared nutrient in addition to beer.
Dagaaba women of Lawra grinding grain amongst a pestles inwards a huge wooden Mortar
Grinding grain, inwards particular, was a lengthy process. Their workload is at nowadays changing as a outcome of the introduction of wells in addition to mills. Men carried out the heavy agricultural work, looked after livestock, in addition to hunted. Both sexes took component subdivision inwards solid edifice during the dry out season.
Land Tenure
Dagaaba traditional ethics of belongings ownership is that no private tin actually ain land. Land ownership is communitarian, custodial, in addition to spiritual. The powerfulness to usage dry soil is invested inwards the Tengdaana (spiritual guardian of the land). The Tengdaana guards the dry soil on behalf of the people, in addition to mediates amidst the people, the ancestors, the spirit world, in addition to God. He is the High Priest responsible for leading the people inwards prayer inwards times of great need, thanksgiving, purification rituals of the land, in addition to other spiritual matters. His spot cannot live morally in addition to spiritually challenged, fifty-fifty though he may lack the political say-so or the powerfulness of legal coercion to carry out his orders in addition to interpretations of the divine volition that underpin Dagaaba ‘lesereng’ in addition to ‘Nabaale Yele’ legal civilization in addition to customary do (Yelpaala 1983:367-372, Yelpaala 1992:454-459). Nonetheless, the Tendaana is the only someone who can, in addition to who does, sacrifice to the ground Goddess. The Tendaana’s role ensures that amidst Dagaaba dry soil ownership is egalitarian, collective, communitarian, in addition to usufructory (Nsiah- Gyabaah 1994). By extension, he oversees the safety in addition to sustainability of dry soil usage amidst the people. Accordingly in addition to ideally, no private traditionally has the moral or political correct or powerfulness to completely invalidate some other person’s entitlement to dry soil use, or to destroy the land’s sustainability
through bad dry soil usage practices. For this reason, the highest business office of Dagaaba is that of the Tengdaana,
in addition to non that of the king.
At sure times, dry soil tenure took the shape of a hierarchy of rights distributed within the lineage. At ane level, dry soil was "owned" past times the wider patrilineage, in addition to if whatsoever dry soil was non beingness farmed, other members had a claim to usage it. Use rights were exclusive in addition to to a greater extent than of import where dry soil was scarce or especially valuable (because of water). Where population density was low, it sufficed to approach the local Master of the Earth, who would perform a simple sacrifice.
Kinship
Kin Groups in addition to Descent. Across the LoDagaa cluster, roughly from eastward to west, in that location is an increasing emphasis on the role of matrilineal descent groups. In the east, the Dagaba are organized on the ground of patrilineal descent groups alone. Several of these exogamous units be inwards each parish. These lineages, which draw patrilineal relationships betwixt their members, belong to wider named clans, segments of which are found inwards widely dispersed settlements, fifty-fifty those of different "ethnic" groups, roughly tracing out lines of migration. Groups to the westward also take away hold matrilineal clans, in addition to all except the Wiili (and formerly fifty-fifty some of the LoWiili) inherit dry soil in addition to immovables agnatically in addition to inherit movables (wealth, cattle) through the uterine line. Hence, the patricians are locally based, but the matriclans are dispersed. These groups are hence variants of classic double-descent systems.
Patrilineal clans are numerous, each amongst its ain prohibitions, oftentimes against the killing of a totemic animate beingness or the eating of foods inwards a particular way. The clans are paired inwards joking relationships, in addition to their ritual foci are lineage shrines. Among the Lobi and, to some extent, the Birifor, although patrilineal clanship is concealed, it is important inwards landownership in addition to inwards some ritual affairs, especially inwards the Dyoro initiations. The matriclans, correct across the cluster, are basically 4 inwards number—Some, Da, Hienbe, in addition to Kambire. The initiative of all ii in addition to the lastly ii are paired inwards joking relationships, which are especially of import at funerals. These dispersed matriclans take away hold particular loci where sacrifices are occasionally performed.
Bewaa grouping performing at the Kobine festival inwards Lawra, Upper West Region.
Kinship Terminology. In a double-descent system, ane tin refer to whatsoever kin either inwards the patrilineal or inwards the matrilineal mode. The patrilineal mode is Omaha, whereas the matrilineal ane is Crow. The ascendence of these different modes depends upon the strength of the relevant groups. Kinship terms tin live confusing to the casual observer of the Dagaaba. The terms “brothers” in addition to “sisters” do non only refer to people ane shares parents amongst but also to all cousins. There is no Dagaare equivalent of the term “cousin”. Similarly, wives of males of the same descent may refer to each other’s children as “daughters” or “sons”. There is no such give-and-take as “step-child” although children mostly know who their existent mothers are in addition to women may sometimes care for step-children differently from the way they care for their ain children.
Another confusing term is n pog, my wife, used past times both males in addition to females, inwards reference to a brother’s wife. There is usually a joking human relationship betwixt people in addition to their brothers’ wives. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 adult woman pretends to live a adult man when bully jokes amongst the brother’s wife, hence the usage of “my wife” or n pog, which she may also used inwards everyday linguistic communication exterior the joking context. N pog may also live used past times a grandpa inwards reference to a granddaughter in addition to n seere (my husband) used past times a grandmother inwards reference to a grandson. Grandchildren in addition to grandparents usually take away hold a joking human relationship that facilitates a special type of bonding, making it easier for the old ones to impart their knowledge in addition to wisdom on the piffling ones. The higher upward joking
relationships are different from what exists betwixt all Dagaaba in addition to ane of their neighboring groups - the Frafra - which is referred to as loloroung. The Frafra are lolorobo or joking partners of the Dagaaba in addition to this has cypher to do amongst the denie or play that exists betwixt kinsmen as exemplified above.
Dagaaba women
Marriage in addition to Family
Marriage.
Incest taboo is observed inwards all the Dagaare-speaking communities of West Africa. In some cases, the slightest indication of a blood relationship, no affair how distant, is plenty argue for a prospective distich non to live allowed to proceed amongst their matrimony plans. In other cases, matrilateral cross-cousin marriages are permissible in addition to encouraged. Among the LoWiili, a woman’s first-born immature adult woman is encouraged to marry
(and sometimes, as an infant, betrothed to) her maternal uncle’s boy (i.e. matrimony betwixt the children of a sis in addition to a brother). This is supposed to strengthen the human relationship betwixt a woman’s patrikin in addition to her husband’s kin, who are at nowadays her kin due to the marriage. Such matrilateral cross cousin marriages may also involve a woman’s sons in addition to girls from the woman’s patrikin. These kinds of marriages give parents the peace of hear (knowing who their children are getting married to) in addition to also aid found satisfactory relations betwixt the in-laws.
In the eastern groups, matrimony is strictly virilocal in addition to is effected past times the transfer of bride-wealth inwards cowries in addition to later inwards cattle. The transfers pick out spot over time, as the matrimony is consolidated amongst the nascency of children. Traditionally, the groom also had to convey parties to farm for his inlaws from fourth dimension to time, although amidst the educated this do tends to acquire commuted into a monetary payment. Each matrimony invokes the construction of a novel chamber in addition to cooking hearth. Among the Birifor in addition to the Lobi, when a fiancé comes to farm, he may eventually live allowed to pass the nighttime amongst his time to come married adult woman and, later, to take away hold her see his ain solid inwards render for farther work. She did non usually reside permanently inwards her husband's solid until after the nascency of their initiative of all child. Until expiry or divorce, she lives away from the main body of her agnatic kin. Due to the full general lack of transportation, the demand to hold inwards touching amongst one’s patrikin, attention every funeral, visiting the sick, etc., girls are encouraged non to wed to men from villages that are non a walking distance (seven miles or less may live considered as the preferred distance) away from
their agnatic home. Similarly, since in-laws are expected to attend each other’s relatives’ funeral ceremonies, parents are particular nigh how far away their sons go to seek matrimony partners. In fact, all the kinsmen of a immature adult man of matrimony historic catamenia hold their eyes opened upward for the suitable would-be bride in addition to may brand suggestions to the immature adult man as to who is available in addition to ready for matrimony inwards the close past times villages.
In some cases, the selection of a married adult woman in addition to all matrimony arrangements are made without the in-put of the groom. The groom is supposed to pick out their give-and-take for it, when his kinsmen convey spot a lady in addition to say, “this is the best adult woman for you”. According to the Dagaaba elders, an ideal bride is ane that is hard-working, physically fit in addition to strong plenty to live a pog kura (female farmer, capable of all performing such activities as sowing, carrying large loads of firewood, giving nascency to as many boys as possible, etc.), in addition to comes from a solid unit of measurement amongst goodness wellness in addition to conduct.
Another type of organisation for initiative of all marriages is elopement, which occurs at the historic catamenia of puberty. The immature adult woman is persuaded to leave of absence amongst her admirer to his spot or she may live seized past times his kinsmen/colleagues at a dance, marketplace place, or patch sleeping at nighttime in addition to forcibly brought to her would-be husband’s home. Although elopement is usually done amongst the girl’s consent, she is expected to resist in addition to scream the loudest possible
to demo that she is up-right, morally, in addition to non a bitch. Similarly, although some of the girl’s relatives may take away hold been aware of the programme to elope, they may limited anger publicly. The resistance to elopement marks the kickoff of a catamenia of intensive interaction betwixt the girl’s filial in addition to conjugal ties, within which the necessary steps are taken to finalize the courtship in addition to matrimony process.
Other marriages may take away hold less dramatic beginnings. After a immature adult man declares his involvement inwards a girl, his kinsmen accompany him to acquaint his proposal formerly to the kinsmen of the girl. During this catamenia of courtship, the kinsmen of the immature adult man are expected to shower gifts inwards the shape of pito, cola-nuts in addition to money on their in-laws each fourth dimension they brand a trip to the girl’s village. When both parties are satisfied with
the way issues take away hold handled during the courtship period, a solar daytime is fixed for the bride wealth (kyeru) to live brought to the girl’s family. After the transfer of bride wealth has taken place, the immature adult woman (who carries amongst her a number of accessories including calabashes, bowl/basins in addition to baskets) is accompanied past times her kinsmen to her husband’s home. This is known as pog bielle.
Bridewealth: In general, bride wealth amidst the Dagaaba usually involves some amount of cowries, cash, in addition to livestock. The proportions of these diverse items may vary but volition almost ever involve a number of cowries. The cowries and/or cash portion is referred to as the pog libie. Among the LoWiili, the bride wealth consists of a cock in addition to guinea-fowl to the in-laws, in addition to the pog libie, a total of around 20,000 cowries, usually, the same amount that was paid for the girl’s mother. Various rituals accompany the counting in addition to transfer of bride wealth past times the groom’s solid unit of measurement to the bride’s agnatic home. Once the patrikin of the bride have the bride wealth, they also perform a number of rituals during the counting, distribution in addition to storing of it. In general, the bride wealth received for a immature adult woman is used to acquire a married adult woman for a son. Whereas paying the bride wealth of a immature man’s initiative of all married adult woman is the obligation of his solid unit of measurement elders, if he wishes to acquire polygamous, he volition mostly live solely responsible for paying the bride wealth of these subsequent wives.
The diverse rituals performed during the counting in addition to transfer past times the groom’s relatives as good as those (the rituals) that go on during the counting in addition to credence of the bride wealth, are tied to the fertility in addition to fidelity of the bride. If some of the rituals are non good done, the adult woman could take away hold difficulty bearing children during the marriage. It is also believed that in ane trial those rituals take away hold been performed in addition to the bride wealth accepted, in addition to so whatsoever infidelity on the component subdivision of the adult woman could final result inwards her expiry if she does non confess forthwith in addition to go through purification rites/rituals.
Birth: When it is noticed that a adult woman is pregnant the husband’s begetter consults a soothsayer (baga) to know who should live asked to “throw water“ at her. She is in addition to so called out of her hut in addition to the appropriate someone “throws water“; from in addition to so on she in addition to others may shout out the pregnancy.
She gives nascency inwards the chaani or kyaaraa (inner room) of her husband’s house, attended past times old women in addition to nascency attendants.
A kid may live named at 7 days old; inwards the instance of a kid who cries a lot the soothsayer may tell the chemical compound caput that an ancestor wishes to live the child’s segeraa; a segeraa must take away hold died amongst white hair. People may in addition to so say that ancestor has “come dorsum home“.
Boys are circumcised at a infirmary or past times traditional experts at the historic catamenia of 1 or 2 weeks. Female genital mutilation was formerly practised betwixt the ages of 5 in addition to 10 years but was discontinued inwards the 1940s in addition to 1950s.
Domestic Unit
The domestic unit of measurement is mostly built on agnatic ties, given that wives bring together their husbands at marriage, but amidst the Lobi in addition to Birifor, men do extensive bride-service, in addition to some immature children may grow upward amongst their mother's brothers before their woman parent leaves for her husband's house. In most cases, the farming grouping is small. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 adult man in addition to his sons may farm together for a longer catamenia amidst the groups inwards which patricians dominate. The spot grouping that occupies a chemical compound may consist of several farming groups, in addition to each farming grouping may live divided into smaller eating groups.
Inheritance
Among the Dagaba in addition to the Wiili, a man's belongings passes initiative of all to his total brothers, if they are farming together, in addition to and so to his sons. Among the LoPiel, the LoSaala, the Birifor, in addition to the Lobi, dry soil passes inwards the paternal line, whereas movable belongings is transmitted initiative of all to uterine siblings in addition to and so to sisters' sons, leading to before splits inwards the domestic groups in addition to to tensions betwixt a adult man in addition to his mother's brothers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 woman's belongings mostly goes to her daughters if it is sex-linked, but livestock may go to her sons.
A man’s blood brother or other unopen relative may wed or aid for his widow, seem after his children, in addition to inherit his gods in addition to voodoo toys.
Dagaaba adult woman amongst her ii kids, Jirapa, Upper West Region, Ghana
Young children are looked after past times their mothers in addition to are breast-fed until they tin walk in addition to talk, when they "become humans" in addition to are thus entitled to a proper burial (see "Death in addition to Afterlife"). Later on, they are cared for past times elderberry sisters or relatives, who involve them inwards their play. Boys go off inwards groups to herd cattle, whereas girls play to a greater extent than domestic games about the compound, helping their mothers from fourth dimension to fourth dimension past times fetching H2O or grinding in addition to pounding cereals. Among the Lobi, girls also seem after cattle, although boys in addition to girls hand this responsibleness to their juniors when they are initiated into the Dyoro society.
Dagaaba women of Nandom dancing
Sociopolitical Organization
Political Organization. Except for the Wala in addition to the Gan, as good as the Kaleo the peoples of this grouping lacked chieftainship in addition to telephone substitution political organisation until the coming of colonial rule. Inferring from Yelpaala’s (1992) article, the political organisation of the Dagaaba was, until the imposition of colonialism, decentralized inwards its full general structure.
Dagaaba people of Nadowli
From the outside, it mightiness take away hold appeared amorphous in addition to non easily susceptible to analysis, for its organisation in addition to institutions were non defined inwards terms of the total territorial unit of measurement but inwards terms of sub-territorial areas teni (villages) referred to past times Goody as parishes, in addition to past times Fortes inwards his study of the Tallensi as settlements. The political organisation of each teng (village) exhibited a sure grade of centralization of say-so amongst a really limited vertical structure. The telephone substitution say-so was cross-hauled from the elders (ninbere) of different kin-based groups within the territorial area. This body was the basic establishment dealing amongst most issues of full general community interest. All elders amongst the exception of the custodians of the dry soil (tendaana) inwards sure cases, were theoretically co-equals inwards all deliberations. However, inwards matters that related to the teng in addition to the dry soil deity (tengan), the tendaana was the lastly authority. Thus depending on the issues involved, the telephone substitution say-so was either circular amongst its functions based on consultation in addition to consensus, or unidirectional, from the tendaana downwards to the ease of society.
In every hamlet (teng), this basic construction to a greater extent than or less replicated itself. Each teng however, enjoyed an independent autonomous existence from the others. Therefore, the society was at the same fourth dimension centralized at the unit of measurement plane in addition to decentralized at the total societal level. Centralization within the little units provided the useful banking concern check on the abuses or excesses inwards the usage of centralized political power. On really of import and
broader cultural or extraterritorial issues involving non-Dagaaba, such as warfare or resistance against slave raiding, these centralized institutions would coordinate, cooperate or deliberate as a larger telephone substitution unit. However, these higher plane organizations did non appear to involve the total territorial expanse of the Dagaaba. Yet, taking whatsoever territorial unit of measurement as a starting point, that unit of measurement was linked separately to all other contiguous units past times a chain of mutual culture, mutual descent, in addition to political or legal cooperation. Each of these other units was also separately in addition to similarly linked to yet other contiguous territorial units until the chain of interlocking linkages involve the entire Dagawie. Depending on the issues at stake, contiguity, consanguinity, historical ties in addition to the plane of sophistication inwards the native fine art of diplomacy, cooperation or integration betwixt different territorial units was great or little inwards amplitude. The basic philosophy which guided the interaction of all telephone substitution authorities at the larger unit of measurement plane was equality. All element units functioned as co-equals, for the Dagaaba say that doo bii pog ba gangna o to (i.e., no adult man or adult woman is superior to their peer). This then, has been in addition to continues to live the ground of egalitarian thought amidst the Dagaaba, what is called the traditional level. Within the national political structure, Dagaaba political thought, similar all other traditional systems, is relegated to an inferior status.
Social Control in addition to Conflicts
The main causes of conflict were rights to women in addition to access to wood products. Within the parish, conflicts of this variety were rare because of kin ties in addition to abide by for the ground shrine. Strong sanctions existed against adultery, theft, in addition to other delicts, which were settled within in addition to betwixt local lineages. More recently, local chiefs in addition to headmen take away hold exercised supervision on behalf of the government, in addition to local courts of constabulary take away hold been established.
Crime in addition to penalization are just as much issues of politics as they of religion. Until recently, theft was a rare occurrence amidst the Dagaaba. It was taken as a really repulsive in addition to anti-social human activity condemned past times all, including the spirits in addition to the ancestors who could live invoked whenever necessary to punish a thief severely. Theft is so much looked downward upon that it is non uncommon to hear a someone trying to show her/his integrity, say that (s)he does non steal or rob - N ba zuuro, n ba faara. In a society where houses take away hold virtually no door panels nor to locks, in that location is understandably a full general demand for trust in addition to social cohesion.
In Dagaare, the term iibo signifies the full general normative value scheme roofing established in addition to accepted norms, principles, practices, procedures which regulation life inwards full general in addition to disputing inwards particular. It is when a specific conduct is inwards conflict amongst the Dagaaba iibo that ane may live characterized as deviant. In low-cal of this concept of iibo, therefore, the Dagaaba may live viewed as a unified group, vis-á-vis other non-Dagaaba, including their neighbors.
Dagaagba women of Nadowli at their Nadowli Womens meeting
Religious Belief
Dagaaba take away hold strong believe in Naangmen (older spelling Naamwin), supreme God in addition to creator og the Universe. He is goodness in addition to omnipotent but has no shrines, so in that location is no way of communication amongst him. Mwin way “sun“, in addition to Naamwin is sometimes identified amongst sun, sky, or rain. Goody, inwards The myth of the Bagre, maintains that God’s practical alienation from his universe is thought of past times the Dagaaba as a component subdivision of the work of evil. “If he were to go on inwards his primordial role“, says Goody, “our problems would non exist. With his aid, disease, evil, in addition to misfortune could live banished“.
In addition, Dagaaba strongly believe in addition to reverence the ‘Mother Earth’ (Tengbane). Tengbane or Mother ground is the 2nd most powerful deity after the supreme God, Naangmen. Therefore the Dagao sees the ground or physical surround as sacred and divine; that they are born from the earth, live on in addition to through it, volition live buried inwards it; in addition to that they volition join the ancestors who, though invisible, are nonetheless located inwards the surround amongst other spiritual beings. This is good articulated inwards Bagre narrative, in addition to shows that as our Mother, nosotros owe our life to Earth. It is from her thorax that the milk of sustenance is drawn, whether it is water, food, soil, wood, or herbal medicine, in addition to it is to her womb that nosotros shall render inwards death. Likewise, Kukure (1985:55) sees ground as the ‘controlling agency inwards life, the source of fertility, of prosperity, [and] of survival [. . . .] Moreover the [Earth must give an line organisation human relationship of all that takes spot on [her] surface. [She] reports to God the actions of the living, non only of humans, but also of beasts. Hence, the someone who is on goodness terms amongst the [Earth] (and ancestors) is also on goodness terms amongst God.’ This belief scheme has generated a conceptual frame in which the Dagaaba do non relate to their surround through an ideology of domination, but rather through responsive negotiation.
Dagaaba earth-priest (tengdaana)
responsible for many things that brand human life what it is, Sagbane is responsible for rain, sunshine, and moonlight, in addition to the unseen energies of stars, thunder in addition to lightning. Even though Sagbane is the Father, he is secondary inwards importance to Tengbane during invocatory prayers of Dagaaba. Tengbane comes second to Naangmen. It is also on line organisation human relationship of Sagbane’s secondary spot that His priest, the Saadaana, does non characteristic really much inwards Dagaaba daily existence, in addition to the business office is non found inwards every settlement. It is to Tengbane that daily libations are poured. Tengbane is Goddess, in addition to the Mother of Bagre; she must not live polluted. When Tengbane is polluted, efforts are initiated to perform the appropriate in addition to necessary
sacrifices for the restoration of the broken remainder betwixt the self, the community, Tengbane, the spirit
world, in addition to finally amongst Nangmen. Because Tengbane covers the earth’s surface, it becomes the universal
altar upon which humans, represented past times Dagaaba, gather to pray for rain, cure to epidemics, victory in
wars, goodness harvests, or the settlement of a novel village. It is to Tengbane that immigrants are taken for
induction into the clan. It is for these reasons in addition to others also many to enumerate hither that the High Priest of Tengbane, the Tengdaana, holds the highest socio-spiritual in addition to moral say-so inwards whatsoever Dagaaba village. Each settlement of, say, 300 to 1,000 people has an “earth-shrine” (tengbane) in addition to an earth-priest (tengdaana) which is usually situated inwards a grove inwards a telephone substitution component subdivision of the settlement. Sacrifices are performed past times an earth-priest in addition to his assistants, also past times patriclan representatives. In addition, anyone may brand sacrifices to the ground simply past times edifice a little mound past times the path leading to the shrine.
Dagaaba “earth-shrine” (tengbane)
Certain prohibitions are linked amongst the earth-shrine; for instance large sacrifices must live made if people shed ane another’s blood, or if someone commits suicide. It is also a serious offence to take away hold sexual practice out-of-doorsThe complex cosmological human relationship Dagaaba take away hold amongst Tengbane is reflected inwards the mediatory role played past times the Tengdaana in addition to Tengbane betwixt the people in addition to Naangmen. It must live stressed hither that Dagaaba take away hold as many Tengbama (plural for Tengbane) in addition to Tengdaamba (plural for Tengdaana) as in that location are settlements. This does non inwards anyway dot whatsoever conflictual relationships amongst the Tengbane. The diverse Tengbama stand upward for settlement patterns, in addition to must live seen as parishes of the same Goddess. Each Tengdaana in addition to so becomes a parish priest, performing the same functions, amongst local variation, to an omnipresent in addition to omniscient Tengbane
Lesser spiritual powers include ngmimi or weni. Saa ngmin is the pelting god (saa way rain); Bo wen is the Bagre god who looks after the granary in addition to farming.
Dagaaba ancestral shrine wooden carvings
The Dagaaba spiritual realm is also inhabited past times spirits, both ancestral in addition to pre-human. For instance, the Kongtongbilii, what Goody (1972) translates as ‘beings of the wild’, be within both the spiritual in addition to environmental consciousness of Dagaaba. There are also the diverse deities who take away hold been delegated territorial say-so past times Nangmen inwards the universe. It is Kongtongbilii in addition to these other spiritual beings in addition to deities who aid humans to brand spiritual journeys dorsum to Nangmen in addition to His married adult woman inwards the heaven to consort amongst them nigh the important of life in addition to death. In monastic enjoin to brand that journey, Dagaaba initiative of all invoke Tengbane, in addition to so the ancestors, in addition to other lesser spirits. Together, they aid them clarify their vision for the journey.
Medicine shrines (tiib), made for instance of dried sticks, may live placed at a solid entrance. They are acquired as a remedy for sickness or some other problem.
Dagaaba shrine
Ancestor shrines are sticks carved roughly inwards human shape, in addition to every deceased adult man who left a boy to succeed him is commemorated inwards this way. They are kept inwards the cattle byre, which is thus the most sacred room inwards the house. Their jurisdiction extends to lineage kin, in addition to inwards some ways also to matrilineal descendants; all of import events are reported to them. When a adult woman dies her shrine is carried dorsum past times her clan sisters to her birth-place.
The ancestors are invoked amongst animate beingness sacrifice at the kickoff in addition to halt of the farming flavor in addition to when whatsoever calamity threatens the community.
The soothsayer (baga) is appointed at nascency in addition to initiated when he is old plenty to pick out upward the duties
Christianity
Dagaabaland, especially inwards northern Republic of Ghana is the Vatican of Ghana. Despite the fact that over 55% of Dagaaba are traditional African organized religious belief practitioners, the remaining population are unrepentant Roman Catholics.
Ethnic Dagao Cardinal Peter Poreku Dery inwards the wheel after a Pontifical High Mass at Dio Padre Misericordioso, Vatican.
Since the 1930s, volume conversions to Catholicism take away hold taken place, kickoff amidst the LoPiel population about Dissin. The pioneer missionaries, Frs Remigius McCoy in addition to Arthur Paquet (both White Fathers from Canada) in addition to Brother Basilid Koot (from Holland) began piece of work at Jirapa inwards 1929. The handling they gave for yaws in addition to other prevalent diseases created immediate interest. Within x months in that location were ii catechumens, in addition to despite some persecution the number grew quickly.
Then inwards 1932 the rains failed. Apr to July, usually the pump of the rainy season, were dry. The ancestors were repeatedly invoked, in addition to countless sacrifices were offered to the traditional gods, but to no avail. At last, on 24 July, the people of Jirapa turned to the piffling Catholic mission, promising generous payment if the God of the Catholic Fathers could succeed where their ain priests had failed. In A brusk history of the Catholic Church inwards Ghana, Helene Pfann describes what happened: "Father McCoy told them that God wanted no presents. He only wanted them to believe that he loved them in addition to would aid them. He took them into the church building in addition to all prayed together. The next night, on July 25th, clouds gathered inwards the heaven over Jirapa and, for the initiative of all fourth dimension inwards months, pelting barbarous inwards torrents. The people were so happy that they ran out of their houses in addition to sang in addition to danced amongst joy, letting the pelting soak them through.
Ghana Archbishop Peter Poreku Dery (in red) is carried past times aides to live elevated to telephone substitution past times Pope Benedict XVI during a ceremony at the Vatican March 24, 2006. He was an ethnic Dagaaba man
The side past times side morn a crowd of Dagaaba, all demanding to acquire Christians, besieged the Mission House . . That rainy flavor 25,000 Dagaaba became adherents. No similar volume conversion had ever before taken spot inwards Africa.
A four-year catechumenate was established, in addition to the Fathers started on the daunting work of teaching this vast novel community. Following the speedy growth of the piece of work at Jirapa novel parishes were opened at Kaleo (1932), Nandom (1933), in addition to at Ko in addition to Daffiama (1952). In 1959 the Dagaaba expanse was created a diocese, amongst the spot of the bishop inwards Wa. There are at nowadays xvi parishes, nearly all Dagaare-speaking, but hardly inwards Wa East in addition to Wa West Districts.
As the numbers grew, iii orders of sisters in addition to ii orders of brothers sent missionaries.
The initiative of all Dagao priest was ordained inwards 1951; past times 1959 in that location were six, in addition to inwards 1984 in that location were inwards the Wa diocese no less than 53 African priests, 98 sisters, in addition to 17 brothers, compared amongst only 8 missionary priests, 17 sisters, in addition to 23 brothers. Fr McCoy, aged 89 when this volume was published inwards 1986, continued to piece of work actively at Jirapa in addition to becane a legend inwards his lifetime. He died Worship in addition to church building life tends to live based on large church building buildings inwards the main towns, to which people come upward from the surrounding villages. For instance Ko, a little town some 10 km off the Nandom road, has a church building 75 metres long (said to live longer than the longest church building inwards Accra), amongst seating for 2,000. Even on weekdays the early on morn volume is attended past times over 100, in addition to the church building is comfortably total on Sundays.
The 14 Dagaare-speaking parishes in all likelihood take away hold a total adult membership exceeding 40,000, which is over xv per cent of the local population. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 farther 10 per cent would telephone telephone themselves Catholics, though non total members.
Cardinal Dery, ethnic Dagao from Republic of Ghana inwards a wheel chair as Cardinal O`Malley ascent to comprehend him.
Whatever questions ane may take away hold nigh the depth of private commitment to Christ, in that location is no incertitude that 50 years of Catholic activity in addition to a really large investment of money in addition to personnel take away hold made a large impact on the Dagaaba way of life. Already inwards the mid-60s the anthropologist Jack Goody found Catholic influence had significantly reduced involvement inwards the Bagre initiation ceremonies inwards the expanse due south of Lawra. Polygamy may non take away hold been eliminated fifty-fifty amidst Catholics, but it has been greatly reduced. Early on in that location was a battle for the correct to care for Dominicus as a solar daytime of rest.
Why take away hold the Dagaaba moved into the Catholic church building inwards such numbers? Clearly a similar investment of personnel in addition to money inwards other areas has yielded much smaller results.
Cardinal Archbishhop Peter Dery, himself ane of the early on Dagaaba converts, explains why his people so readily became Christians:
They are goodness farmers . . . Their moral code was really high in addition to was strictly observed. Their feel of hospitality in addition to generosity was superb. They never practised human sacrifices, in addition to they feared God’s curse on those who did so. In short, they are a people of natural goodness amongst deep abide by for their elders in addition to parents, in addition to a profound feel of worship which they consider a duty towards the ancestors in addition to the “Naabilengmen”, the “god of the kid of man”. These qualities in addition to many to a greater extent than made a goodness soil, a people already prepared to pick out the Good News “en masse”.
A missionary priest made the next points inwards addition: 1) it was slow to interpret traditional sacrifice into the sacrifice of the mass, in addition to prayer to ancestors into veneration of saints; 2) it was slow to interpret the strict morality of the Dagaaba into the x commandments; 3) the Dagaaba are non a proud, dominant tribe but a humble in addition to hard-working ane –- nosotros preach goodness tidings to the poor, in addition to the under-dog tends to respond to a greater extent than quickly; 4) the initiative of all missionaries, amongst their medical in addition to educational work, lived really unopen to the people.
Other churches: Adams Bodomo has said that Dagao is ane of the most heavily Catholic parts of the world exterior of Rome. Until he left the expanse for college he was unaware that whatsoever other expressions of Christianity existed!
Indeed it was non till 1954 that some other church, the Baptist Mid-Missions, started piece of work inwards Wa in addition to ii years later inwards Lawra. By 1986 in that location was a growing church building of 85 members in addition to 4 times as many regular attenders. Though the Baptists had only one-half a dozen churches amidst the Dagaaba they seriously took upward the challenge of literacy in addition to Bible translation work.
The Methodists, who came to Wa nigh the same fourth dimension as the Baptists, had a pastor at Lawra past times 1986 in addition to ii other congregations inwards the Dagaaba expanse amongst a total membership of nigh 50.
Religious Practitioners. Practically every adult is an officiant at some shrine or another, but the main figure is the Master of the ground (tengdaana). Some individuals develop special reputations as diviners (baga). All are involved inwards sacrifices to the ancestors, to the beings of the wild, in addition to to medicine shrines.
Another powerful religious leader according to Bagre hush-hush society functions, is the damdamwule amidst Dagaaba. The damdamwule`s sole life depends on rain-fed agricultural practices,is inwards its powerfulness to know when the rains are due in addition to to percentage this knowledge amongst humans to allow them know that Sieong is here. The damdamwule also acts as an agricultural extension officer, telling the people through its song, when to sow what in addition to when to halt sowing. Those who turn down to recognize its pedagogy of nature through its music sow inwards vain (Goody 1972: ll. 4611-40).
The weather-wise damdamwule is helped past times the n birime (featherless fowl). He or she wakes upward the people at dawn, during Sieong, to go to their farms. It performs this role past times beating its wings early on inwards the morning. The belibaar knows when Kpangkyaanee is close in addition to returns ‘from the pelting side / in addition to flies / where the Sun sets’ (Goody 1972: ll. 4651-53) to warn people to laid out preparing their barns for harvest, in addition to the Bagre. It is thus through the migratory movements of this plane that the elders are able to denote the Bagre in addition to to spot ritual prohibitions on the initiates.
Ceremonies
Annual ceremonies are performed at household shrines, especially at the halt of the farming season. It is toward this fourth dimension that, amidst the telephone substitution groups, neighbors trip the low-cal fantastic inwards the marketplace to celebrate the flowering of the guinea corn. Not long afterward, lineages perform special sacrifices to clan deities, a fourth dimension when they also toxicant their arrows. Traditionally, success inwards the hunt also elicited special ritual performances, as did killing someone inwards war, whether friend or enemy.
Birth in addition to matrimony were accompanied past times piffling ceremonial. Death in addition to burial, on the other hand, were occasions; the funeral ceremonies, which resulted inwards redistribution of the belongings of the dead (including sexual rights) in addition to the creation of an ancestor shrine (if in that location were offspring), lasted for many months in addition to brought mourners from far in addition to wide.
The major ceremonial sequences, however, were those associated amongst hush-hush societies: the Bagre inwards the eastward in addition to the Dyoro inwards the west. The Bagre is performed past times lineages when they take away hold sufficient neophytes (and plenty grain) to carry out a performance, amongst the participation of their neighbors as officiants. During the course of instruction of the long sequence of rites, the neophytes are placed nether a serial of taboos, from which they are gradually released. The rites are accompanied past times an extensive recitation concerning the creation of culture. The Dyoro ceremony involves a see past times patrilineages to special centers, where the ancestors lived before reaching the banks of the Black Volta in addition to where the principal rites of initiation pick out place. Indeed, the ritual reenacts the long-ago migration of the patrician in addition to so preserves a piffling of its history. In the ceremony, which takes spot every vii years, the initiates are killed off in addition to revived.
Bagre Rite of Passage Initiation: Bagre provides voluntary entry into Dagaaba initiation rites of passage. As a medium inwards which a gratis association of neophytes that are called past times the spirit tin in addition to are willing to journeying inwards in addition to amongst the spirit, Bagre is divided into ii complementary denominations: Bag-Degre (Dirty Bagre) in addition to Bag-Kaang (Oily Bagre), in addition to only ane of each type is located inwards a particular parish. The initiates of the Bag-Degre are usually painted amongst white stripes of ashes to demo their states of impurity, patch initiates of the Bag-Kaang are anointed amongst Shea butter. There are several reasons why a someone may acquire an initiate, or live seized past times the Bagre Ngmen. Some response the telephone telephone for wellness reasons, others for prosperity, others to acquire a married adult woman or husband, children, or to acquire a instructor inwards the association. Thus, in that location are spiritual, social, political, psychological in addition to emotional reasons for a someone to acquire an initiate.
Through Bagre, nosotros are sensitized to Dagaaba views of their environment. The natural surround for
Dagaaba, as embedded inwards Bagre narrative in addition to observances, is a spiritual realm inhabited past times spirits, both
ancestral in addition to pre-human. For instance, the Kongtongbilii, what Goody (1972) translates as ‘beings of the
wild’, be within both the spiritual in addition to environmental consciousness of Dagaaba. There are also the
diverse deities who take away hold been delegated territorial say-so past times Nangmen inwards the universe. It is Kongtongbilii in addition to these other spiritual beings in addition to deities who aid humans to brand spiritual journeys dorsum to Nangmen in addition to His married adult woman inwards the heaven to consort amongst them nigh the important of life in addition to death. In monastic enjoin to brand that journey, Dagaaba initiative of all invoke Tengbane, in addition to so the ancestors, in addition to other lesser spirits. Together, they aid them clarify their vision for the journey.
According to Bagre narrative Tengbane is Mother of Bagre, Sagbane is considered as Father of Bagre. How the ii interact to ensure harmony inwards the surround is dramatized inwards Bagre narrative. First, the Father of Bagre sends pelting from the sky, which falls in addition to impregnates the Mother of Bagre, Earth. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tree is born in addition to becomes the highway to Nangmen’s residence. But inwards monastic enjoin for humans to attain Nangmen’s residence to take away hold palaver, they demand the aid of other creatures. So amongst the aid of Badare (Spider), they climb the tree to Nangmen’s house. This is how the Bagre narrative captures it.
He began to acquire upward A slender tree
in addition to when he’d done so, is brought forth.
he spoke again, It is the earth’s child
greeting the ground shrine, that is born.
greeting god, [. . . ]
greeting the ancestors, And he was told
greeting the bein gs. That the slender tree,
When he’d done this, he must grasp
he saw something in addition to climb upward quickly
of great importance. To God’s house.
ground in addition to rain, He grasped the tree
the pelting is manful someone but he couldn’t climb it
in addition to the ground is female. And barbarous on his back.
When the fourth dimension comes, Then the spider
regard the rain; galloped over
its penis rises With his feet flying
in addition to bursts forth. And said that
See the earth, [... ]
a fully grown maiden, ATo God’s house
who is nigh to bear. We’ll climb.
(Goody 1972: Bag-Kaang, ll.443-502)
Badare’s importance as a civilization hero inwards Dagaaba environmental in addition to salvation thought is suggested here.
Human fragility inwards the interventionist role of animals animals, insects, plants, in addition to invisible spirits is stressed. As
Bagre performance elucidates, humanity is precariously peripheral to the centre of God’s creation as the
absence of human residents inwards God’s solid is startlingly unnerving. Worse soundless for humans, God’s palace is populated past times insects, plants, in addition to animals: the dog, the lion, the hippo, the elephant, the duiker, the tomcat,
the fly, the spider, in addition to the leopard, to shout out a few. This shows the gulf betwixt humans in addition to their creator. Consequently, humans demand to build a sensitive in addition to meaningful human relationship amongst the nonhuman beings of the environment.
In Bagre narrative, Nangmen in addition to his married adult woman dramatize the acts of procreation to the human manful someone elderberry animate beingness characters. Later on, when Nangmen in addition to his married adult woman give the adult man a wife, together amongst a child, in addition to they render to Earth, the adult man soundless does non know how babies are made. The initiative of all ground woman, sent past times Nangmen to ground learns the human activity of sexual intercourse from the boa constructors. Her learning is both observational in addition to participatory, in addition to she later teaches her married adult man the mystery of the human activity of procreation (Goody 1972: ll.1951-2219). Similarly, the importance of animals inwards human survival is reenacted inwards Bagre through the story of the buffalo adult woman in addition to the hunter.
Subsequently, Dagaaba Bagre initiation schooling, hunters are taught to kill for food, to kill mostly the manful someone in addition to old woman someone animals, in addition to to leave of absence the immature in addition to their mothers alone. Unfortunately, the cash nexus economic scheme that has been imposed on Dagaaba during the colonial catamenia has since confused all that environmental way of living. However, colonialism has non completely eroded Dagaaba environmental thought in addition to pedagogy, cheers to submerged Dagaaba environmental consciousness exemplified inwards their deep-seated beliefs inwards the presence of the ancestors in addition to other spiritual entities inwards their environment. This ensures that they do non willfully degrade their environment, less they loose contact amongst the spirit world, in addition to subsequently, lose the protection in addition to mode of sustenance that the surround soundless gives to them (Somé 1998: 54-55).In monastic enjoin to demo how of import the higher upward human relationship is, it is necessary to consider the role of the ancestral spirits inwards the surround as narrated inwards Bagre. The ancestral spirits piece of work inwards alliance amongst or against the Kontongbilii, the initiative of all nonhuman creatures inwards the surround to come upward to the assist of humans. They instruct Dagaaba everything nigh survival: how to grow food, hunt, brand weapons, cook, brand beer, in addition to fifty-fifty start Bagre itself. Kontongbilii, together amongst the ancestral spirits instruct the Dagaaba nigh their surround through dreams in addition to visions. For instance, they instruct traditional healers nigh the importance of sure plants as sources of medicine. Hence, Dagaaba perceive plants as living beings amongst spirits of their own. Plants also provide humans amongst food, fuel, in addition to medicine. Subsequently, to disrespect in addition to maltreat plants tin live dangerous, because plants do strike dorsum amongst diseases. For instance, a someone who indiscriminately destroys woodlots tin live sick from what is called ‘tree bite.’ Animals, the Bagre narrative tells us, instruct nigh the medicinal in addition to toxic values of plants from animals (ll.2320-2469). It is from plants that nosotros acquire poisons such as strophanthus for toxicant for arrowheads, in addition to to care for guinea worm infection. From the same plants nosotros acquire medicine to halt nascency blood, in addition to facilitate childbirth.
As indicated earlier, Bagre performance coincides inwards most cases amongst Kpangkyaanee (autumn), in addition to Uonii (Dry Season). With less piece of work on the farms, in addition to amongst plenty of food, people are inwards a festive mood. Bagre performance also is timed amongst moontide so that inter-clan in addition to intra-clan socialization is facilitated. Consequently, Bagre calendars laid out amongst the kickoff of harvest, fifty-fifty though novel harvests are forbidden to the initiates until they graduate. The most of import crop’s initiative of all fruit is the shea, which becomes mature inwards June. In determining when Bagre flavor tin live announced, the elders resort to the legend of the fruitbat. In this legend, the fruitbat, in addition to other animals in addition to birds as Bagre elders aid humans inwards their spiritual journey:
"And inwards Bagre,
our elders
are many.’
‘What do you lot hateful past times many?’
‘You saw that
inwards Bagre
in that location was the large fruit-bat.
He’s our Bagre
elder.
The belibaar bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The kyaalipio bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The large frog
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The damdamwule bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The crown bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.’
‘What’s an elder?’
‘I tell you,
all winged creatures
in addition to the featherless cock.’
(Goody 1972: Bagre Degre-- Dirty Bagre ll. 4550-4579)
At this stage, initiates laid out their teaching on the roles played past times the diverse animals inwards Bagre, in addition to thus inwards human survival. The large fruitbat knows when the initiative of all shea fruits are mature. By observing its behavior, the elders are able to know the exact fourth dimension to denote the flavor without breaking whatsoever spiritual taboos. In this case, stuff scientific discipline is of no significance since machines tin only gauge time, which would soundless non live accurate taking into consideration the variables of uncertainties inwards nature. But the fruit-bat’s eating habits give the people a fourth dimension precision inwards which to act. The fruit-bat ‘will know the fourth dimension / to fetch the fruit / inwards the night’ (Goody 1972: ll. 4591-93), eats the fruit, leaves the seed for the elders to see, in addition to and so they volition initiate their preparations for the Bagre.
The role of the damdamwule amidst Dagaaba, whose sole life depends on rain-fed agricultural practices, is inwards its powerfulness to know when the rains are due in addition to to percentage this knowledge amongst humans to allow them know that Sieong is here. The damdamwule also acts as an agricultural extension officer, telling the people through its song, when to sow what in addition to when to halt sowing. Those who turn down to recognize its pedagogy of nature through its music sow inwards vain (Goody 1972: ll. 4611-40). The weather-wise damdamwule is helped past times the n birime (featherless fowl). He or she wakes upward the people at dawn, during Sieong, to go to their farms. It performs this role past times beating its wings early on inwards the morning. The belibaar knows when Kpangkyaanee is close in addition to returns ‘from the pelting side / in addition to flies / where the Sun sets’ (Goody 1972: ll. 4651-53) to warn people to laid out preparing their barns for harvest, in addition to the Bagre. It is thus through the migratory movements of this plane that the elders are able to denote the Bagre in addition to to spot ritual prohibitions on the initiates.
Reenactment of the Hunt at the 2009 Kobine festival inwards Lawra.
The kyaalipio wakes upward women at dawn during Bagre catamenia to go in addition to fetch the H2O used inwards brewing
the beer for the Bagre ceremony (Goody 1972: ll. 4670-88) before it is dingy past times wild boars. Wild
boars are also considered spirit beings associated amongst Bagre. Bagre is a purgatorial journeying to a rebirth
in addition to hence it has prohibitions that include sexual abstinence for the neophytes, the eating of sure foods,
in addition to full general leisure. The manful someone crown-bird calls the Bagre members to acquire upward from their slumber in addition to feed
the children at midnight, so that from in addition to so on they tin laid out a fast (Goody 1972: ll. 4689-4713). Then
in that location is the old manful someone guinea fowl who tells of the flowering of beans. This way, the elders are able to
denote the arrival of Bagre. In a way, the old guinea cock’s regain of edible bean flowers inwards his farm,
cross checks the accuracy of timing of Bagre amongst the large fruit bat’s regain of shea fruits. Other birds
also component subdivision inwards the service of Bagre Mother, Tengbane, in addition to Bagre Father, Sagbane.
In improver to the way inwards which feathered creatures are treated inwards the Bagre ceremony, other animals play of import roles. Some of these animals are spirit animals in addition to are thus prohibited to Bagre. They include the duo (wild boar), the sienee (porcupine), the sasere (grass-cutter), in addition to mokpaangoo (bush guinea-fowl).
There are no reasons given inwards the narrative why these are prohibited, but nosotros do non demand to search far for
the reason. These are totemic animals, in addition to it is non allowed for ane to kill a clan totem animate beingness nether any
circumstance. In contrast to the prohibited animals, in that location are sure animals that are regarded as fit offering to the Bagre deity. They include, korenga (partridge), soangaa (rabbit/hare), kyie (squirrel), walaa (antelope). Reasons for selecting these as acceptable to the Bagre are uncertain.
It is clear from what I take away hold said higher upward that plants, animals, insects, in addition to spirit beings play a really important role inwards the Bagre performance. These roles aid to shape the spiritual, moral, intellectual, in addition to cultural characters of Dagaaba youth. They also initiate the construction of a positive environmental consciousness amidst them. For instance, unless the ceremony of the shea butter is performed, whatsoever endeavour at kickoff the Bagre performance volition live fraught amongst danger (Goody 1972: ll.780-960). Consequently, the shea tree in addition to its fruits, in addition to the role the fruit bat plays, cannot live considered purely from a materialist economical perspective, in addition to cultural backwardness. Yes, the shea tree has a lot of economical importance to the Dagaaba. But its ritual importance is what has ensured its survival inwards the human face upward of worsening environmental degradation. It is also of import to recognize the spiritual links betwixt the people, the bat, in addition to the tree. Without this recognition the tree volition live destroyed when its economical importance is no longer really relevant, in addition to its role as protector of the soil volition live terminated.
In addition, the fruitbat’s ambiguous location as a winged mammal, in addition to as ane who sees inwards the night, gives testimony to its importance inwards discovering the initiative of all fruits of the shea tree. It is carnivorous in addition to herbivorous, in addition to hangs upside downward dissimilar other winged creatures. Thus, it breaks all the boundaries associated amongst animals in addition to birds. For this reason, it is the eldest amidst the non-human elders of the Bagre. The fruit bat throws the seed of the shea fruit into the farms of humans. This enables the elders to regard in addition to laid out the physical care for of announcing the Bagre. The fruit bat’s activity also helps disperse the seeds of the tree, in addition to past times that activity it helps to expand the natural vegetation. Thus, the events carried past times the fruit bat, in addition to all the other animals, insects, in addition to birds displace humans toward a revelatory recognition of their total dependence on these other creatures. This dependence past times humans on non-human subjects is what is in addition to so re-enacted inwards the Bagre performance toward securing human happiness, health, wealth, piety, in addition to social mobility past times Dagaaba inwards their otherwise harsh surround (Goody 1972: ll.922-29).
Batman Samini, instrumentalist in addition to award-winner at 2006 MOBO Awards is a Dagao
Dagaare Music
While the music on this recording is the facial expression of a distinct ethnolinguistic group, the Dagaaba,
nevertheless, take away hold had long historical, social, cultural in addition to linguistic ties amongst other peoples of the northern
parts of Ghana, such as the Sisaala, the Waala, the Dagomba, the Frafra, the Kasena, the Builsa, the Kusaasi in addition to the Mamprusi. Thus, the musical cultures of the part percentage sure features. For instance,
the main musical instrument of the northwestern component subdivision of the province is the xylophone, which may live supported by
a drum or a drum ensemble, in addition to the scales are largely of the hemitonic in addition to anhemitonic pentatonic types,
that is, v banking concern complaint scales that include half-steps in addition to those that do not.
Music-making amidst the Dagaaba, similar other peoples of the region, is an intrinsic component subdivision of social life.
Certain types of music in addition to repertories of vocal may live associated amongst particular occasions, cults,
cooperative piece of work groups in addition to organized labour, historic catamenia groups, in addition to rites of passage. For instance, praisesongs
(danno ng) are performed regularly as a tribute to the primary patch other types of music are exclusive
to the rituals in addition to ceremonies of the regal court, such as an investiture, an assembly inwards the courtroom or
audience chamber, or a funeral. Particular types of music are identified amongst the religious cult called Bagre which holds an annual festival; or amongst traditional associations, such as the kp 3ta a , which comprises
reciprocal aid groups for immature farmers. The "anle e " social trip the low-cal fantastic is reserved for females; the fe roo is a
trip the low-cal fantastic performed past times the youth; patch the "se3gaana a" is danced mainly past times the elderly There are warrior
songs (zoore yi e le), as good as songs for farming, grinding, pounding, floor-beating, plastering, hunting
(waaron g yi e le) in addition to herding.
There are special songs for initiation ceremonies, funerals (kobie), ritual sacrifice, weddings, in addition to world naming ceremonies that occur vii days after the nascency of a kid (referred to as ‘outdooring’). On some occasions, sure types of music may live prohibited, for instance, the ba wa a is non performed when a fellow member of the community is seriously sick or when someone has died. Music may also occur as the spontaneous facial expression of private community members, such as the music for the solo bamboo flute (wu le e ), the harp (p 3na a or koriduo inwards Nandom), or the lullaby (bi-ya gleyi e le).
Finally, music is used to welcome in addition to honour of import guests in addition to visitors.
The Bawaa Dance
Group dancing is intrinsic to ritual in addition to ceremony in addition to is an of import marking of social competence. In
order, then, for an private to participate inwards a ritual he or she must live able to dance. Group dancing is
also an of import way of maintaining community solidarity. As a Dagaare vocal says: ‘If one’s kid does
non know how to dance, it does non belong to the community’.
The bawaa is a telephone telephone to immature people to brand trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to music together, indeed the term "bawaa " literally means, "young people, come upward together" (Kobina Saighoe:1984). The bawaa trip the low-cal fantastic then, is a favourite
pastime amidst the Dagaaba youth. It oftentimes occurs simply as a spontaneous facial expression of immature members
of the community when an chance arises. Mostly, however, the bawaa trip the low-cal fantastic is incorporated into
diverse celebrations, including: rites of passage marking birth, puberty, matrimony in addition to death, or to honour
an individual.
The bawaa dancers also brand upward the chorus which comprises both immature males in addition to females, including
children. One of the dancers, ordinarily a manful someone amongst the most science or experience as a dancer or instrumentalist, takes the role of atomic number 82 vocalist called the ba wa -ngmaara or the bawa-kye3r3 (‘the cutter’). The dancers are accompanied past times ii xylophonists, ane plays a ‘male’ musical instrument (gyil-daa) in addition to the other plays a ‘female’ musical instrument (gyil-nyanngaa), and a drummer who plays a single-headed drum (ganggaa).
The leader of the dance-chorus decides when ane vocal ends in addition to when a novel ane begins. The chorus,
called bawa-sagereba (or sagra: singular ‘one who agrees’), responds to the calls from the leader. The
dancers vesture metallic leg jingles (kyeem e), beaded girdles (l ebie ), metallic finger cymbals (pe ra a pl. perre ) and
sometimes metallic wrist jingles. Uniforms are sometimes worn past times the dancers but this may non live so inwards other cases.
The telephone telephone to trip the low-cal fantastic ordinarily begins amongst the clapping of finger cymbals. The ii xylophone players, who
sit down contrary each other amongst the drummer side past times side to them, laid out patch the crowd gathers about the dance
area. The dancers in addition to so acquire inwards the expanse in addition to shape a circle about the musicians, dancing inwards either an anticlockwise or clockwise direction.
The main component subdivision of the trip the low-cal fantastic consists of an alternation betwixt ii sections. The initiative of all department is called the See`o during which they perform a vocal inwards telephone telephone in addition to response fashion. This is followed past times a to a greater extent than intense
department called a` emmo` (‘to set in’). During this section, the trip the low-cal fantastic becomes to a greater extent than intense as the dancers
synchronize their steps amongst heavy syncopated accents in addition to displays of skill. In Accra, a do has
developed whereby individuals or pairs acquire out the circle for competitive displays of skill. The whole dance
ceremony oftentimes has a ‘director’ called the bawaa-naa who does non participate inwards the trip the low-cal fantastic trial itself,
but who oversees the entire performance. This cycle is repeated whatsoever number of times for each song, until
such times as the leader signals a novel vocal in addition to the cycle begins again.
When the dancers demo signs of tiring ane of the xylophone players gives a signal to halt the dance. In the
hamlet setting the dancers simply stop, patch inwards Accra a to a greater extent than formal organisation exists whereby the
dancers acquire out the circle inwards a unmarried line. Generally, a performance lasts betwixt 20 in addition to 30 minutes. (click hither for Bawaa dance: http://shelf3d.com/4pOzOarwnZI#Bewaa Dance Of The Dagaaba People.)
Dagaaba (Dagarti) dancers from Jirapa
Kobine is a traditional trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to festival unique to the Lawra expanse of northward western Ghana. The trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to the festival named after it are celebrated inwards September in addition to Oct to score the halt of a successful harvest.
Festival.
The festival of Kobine lasts 4 days, amongst the initiative of all solar daytime usually reserved for visiting solid unit of measurement in addition to friends. The 2nd in addition to tertiary days are the official holidays. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 procession of the solid unit of measurement heads is accompanied past times groups of younger people dressed to stand upward for hunters in addition to elephants.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of speeches are made past times dignitaries in addition to other guests of honour before the Kobine trip the low-cal fantastic contest begins.
Ethnic Dagaaba people performing Kobine trip the low-cal fantastic atKobine festival inwards Lawra, Upper West Region
The Kobine music is produced from kuor, a drum musical instrument amongst a base of operations made from a gourd, in addition to dalar, a smaller drum made from the cervix of a clay pot.
The men usually clothing inwards beautifully decorated skirts, but are usually bare-chested to demonstrate their masculinity as good as their flexibility patch they dance. Other ornaments such as headgear in addition to caps are worn. The women clothing similarly to the men, except they mostly volition vesture a blouse. Both men in addition to women vesture a band of bells about the ankles to accentuate their rhythmic moves when they dance.
The trip the low-cal fantastic itself consists of quick rhythmic moves especially amongst the body or upper body. At the peak moves catamenia of the dance, the women volition mostly cutting inwards in addition to trip the low-cal fantastic inwards forepart of their favorite manful someone dancer.
Dagaaba Gyil
The Dagaare Xylophone (Gyil)
Dagaare xylophones are ordinarily played inwards pairs, facing each other. The Dagaare xylophones (gyi l, pl. gy ile ) recorded inwards Kogri-Ullo take away hold 18 keys patch those inwards the Dagaare social clubs inwards Accra take away hold 17 keys. The keys (gyi l bi `r, lit. "seed") are tied together amongst antelope enshroud in addition to mounted over a enshroud cushion on a wooden frame. Gourd resonators (ko`or, pl. ko`o) graduated inwards size are suspended nether each key. Two or iii holes nigh 2-3cm inwards diameter are bored into each gourd in addition to covered amongst a spider’s egg instance ( pempenee)
to increment the resonance in addition to to create a buzzing effect.
The lastly in addition to lowest key (za` ngbaal) does non take away hold a resonator as it is used for playing a repeated rhythmic ostinato (kpaaroo) The other keys are played amongst a wooden beater (gyildoo`le) nigh 30cm long, covered amongst safe at the head. The tuning of the Dagaare xylophone is pentatonic (anhemitonic) in addition to has a make of ii octaves. (further readings: http://www.michaelvercelli.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Vercelli_DMA_Document1.pdf)
The accompanying drums are ordinarily single-headed (gangare ), though a gourd drum (koo`re) usually
reserved for funerals, was used inwards the Accra performances
Death in addition to Afterlife
There is a full general belief inwards life after death, in addition to funeral ceremonies are the way past times which the actual
passage of a human beingness from the Land of the Living (tengzu) to the Land of Dead (dapaarewie) is effected. The dead go across the river of expiry amongst the assist of a ferryman; during the trip, those who take away hold led evil lives may live punished for their misdeeds. In the course of instruction of the serial of funeral ceremonies, a dead adult man also becomes an ancestor, amongst a shrine that volition thereafter have regular offerings of nutrient in addition to imbibe from his descendants, especially from those who take away hold inherited from him.
Additionally, ancestor reverence in addition to abide by for the belief inwards the powerfulness of the ancestors to protect, guide, in addition to offering showers of approving to the living, may live considered as the most of import aspects of the human relationship betwixt the living in addition to their supernatural agents. The ancestors are never dead. They merely
go on to live inwards the other world of spirits in addition to serve as media betwixt their relatives in addition to the spirits in addition to gods.
Funeral: Death, especially of infants, was frequent. Those who take away hold non yet been weaned are non mourned inwards the usual way, except past times their mothers, because they are deemed to live wandering spirits, rather than humans. Precautions are taken against their render to this earth.
For all others, however, the funeral rites are long in addition to complex, in addition to they involve the participation of many people. All funeral rituals amidst the Dagaaba involve musicians, mourners in addition to the assembled villagers in addition to guests from neighboring villages. The music grouping usually consists of xylophonists, drummers in addition to singers. The singers improvise, recreate in addition to reproduce through their songs the history of the solid unit of measurement upward to the expiry that resulted inwards the separation. The theme of the songs is a combination of the deeds in addition to sorrows of the family. The best vocalist is ane who tin stir the maximum plane of grief inwards the chief-mourners (kotuodeme, the closest relatives of the diseased) past times his choice of words. The effect of the words of the singers is echoed in addition to amplified past times the tunes of the xylophones in addition to the sounds of the drums, moving the community to grieve freely.
Wailing, screaming, groaning, running, jumping, dancing in addition to singing are all acceptable ways of expressing grief. Shedding of tears is highly recommended in addition to admired. The kotuodeme are expected to shed a lot of tears in addition to acquit inwards a way that stirs sympathizers to percentage the grief to the fullest past times shedding as many tears as
possible.
The dead person, dressed inwards ceremonial outfit, is seated on a high wooden stool called paala, in addition to surrounded past times her/his valuable possessions. The stool is constructed from a special variety of tree. The singers, drummers in addition to xylophonists are usually non far from the corpse in addition to the entire funeral expanse is marked past times turmoil in addition to turbulence, as people human activity out their grief patch others essay to command themselves inwards monastic enjoin to calm downward some of the kotuodeme from fourth dimension to time. The kotuodeme are tagged amongst ropes (much similar leashes) for identification purposes in addition to for slow command past times people who may want to calm them downward past times holding on to the rope. The to a greater extent than contributions in addition to ropes ane sent to other kotuodeme inwards the past, the to a greater extent than ropes in addition to contributions ane is probable to have when ane becomes a kotuosobo (singular for kotuodeme).
Reciprocity is the guiding regulation here. Although many people are probable to halt past times at a funeral before continuing their daily business, the to a greater extent than funerals the deceased in addition to kotuodeme attended, the to a greater extent than probable the funeral volition live crowded past times sympathizers from all walks of life. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 well-attended funeral is an indication that the household has a high social reputation.
The length of funerals varies betwixt ane to v days. The lastly solar daytime is marked past times the burial of the dead person. There are usually designated grave diggers in addition to specially trained people who do the actual burying, for it is believed the dead is capable of preventing ane from exiting the grave in ane trial the burial physical care for is nigh to end. Renowned witches in addition to medicine people are especially notorious for challenging the under-takers. In such instances, only as toughened witches or medicine people who take away hold been trained to bury the dead volition live entrusted amongst the work at hand.
Highly respected elders are usually buried inwards the middle of the solid unit of measurement chemical compound or inwards forepart of the solid unit of measurement solid rather than inwards the cemetery. This is to hold them unopen to the solid unit of measurement who are constantly beingness watched over past times the dead elderberry or ancestor. From fourth dimension to time, libation may live poured in addition to sacrifices made on the grave. On other informal occasions, the grave may serve as a resting spot for naps in addition to for relaxing in addition to chatting. The elders do non play an of import only after their death, but also patch they are alive.
Sources:http://www.linguistics.hku.hk/staff/Bodomo/JDS/2004/JDS2004_Kuwabong.pdf
http://www.linguistics.hku.hk/staff/Bodomo/JDS/JDS2002_Alenuma.pdf
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3458001518.html
Economic in addition to Sociocultural Aspects of Cowrie Currency of the Dagaaba of Northwestern Republic of Ghana Aspects
EMMANUEL YIRIDOE
University of Guelph, Canada
The cowrie currency, the dominant medium of substitution inwards Republic of Ghana before the introduction of the West African Pound and, later, the Cedi, is at nowadays simply a vestigial relic inwards virtually all of modern Republic of Ghana except amidst the Dagaaba. This newspaper provides an insider's perspective on the economical importance in addition to on the unique role of the cowrie currency amidst the Dagaaba that explains its perpetual presence. Cultural uses do a derived demand for cowries. Government policies final result inwards debasement of the cedi and, together amongst monetary characteristics of the cowrie, atomic number 82 to contest betwixt the cedi in addition to the cowrie.
Chief Simon Diedong Dombo (SD Dombo), ethnic Dagaaba/Dagarti man, ane of the Ghana`s earliest most celebrated in addition to charismatic politician, renowned primary of Duori in addition to the founding fellow member in addition to leader of the Northern People’s Party (NPP) in addition to Pogress Party (UP), which off-shot is the Ghana`s biggest opposition party,New Patriotic Party (NPP). Dombo was one-time the only lone vociferous opposition vocalism inwards Republic of Ghana when Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared Republic of Ghana as One-Party State. His shout out was popularized as "Domocracy."l
Clusters of Dagaaba
The terms "LoDagaa" in addition to "Lobi-Dagarti" (or Dagara) are used for a cluster of peoples situated across the frontier of Burkina Faso in addition to Ghana, originally grouped together past times Labouret, next the usage of Delafosse in addition to other francophones. In this cluster, Labouret included the "true Lobi" (or those the Birifor telephone telephone the "LoWilisi") about Gaoua, who (according to Westermann in addition to Bryan 1952) speak a Dogon-type linguistic communication (the inclusion of Dogon is disputed); the Birifor (or LoBirifor) to their east, who speak Dagara, a Mole-Dagbane language; in addition to 4 smaller groups: the Teguessié, the Dorossié, the Dian, in addition to the Gan. The Teguessié (or Tégué) speak a linguistic communication of the Kulango Group in addition to are sometimes thought of as the autochthons; they were Masters of the ground inwards much of the area. The other little groups speak languages related to Lobiri, as do the Padoro in addition to peradventure the Komono; Dian in addition to Lobiri (in the east) are to a greater extent than closely related, as is the western group.
Dagaaba women
Subsequently, Père (1988) adopted the francophone usage of Lobi ("la région Lobi") to concealment the peoples of the Gaoua District of Burkina Faso, including non only the Jãa (Dian); the Gaàn (Gan); the Teésé (Teguessié); the Dòcsè (or Dorossié, but also the Kùlãgo [Kulango]); the Dagara (divided into Dagara Lobr in addition to Dagara Wiili [Oulé]); in addition to the Pwa (formerly known as the Pugula or Pougouli), who speak a Grusi language. Indeed, because she is dealing amongst the region, she also includes the Wala in addition to the Dagara-Jula inwards her account.
Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, ethnic Dagaaba, Ghanaian politician, sometime Minister of Health inwards the Ghana, sometime minority leader in addition to the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West.
The problems of ethnic classification inwards this expanse are several. In the initiative of all place, names differ, depending on whether they are used past times francophones or past times anglophones. The Lobi described past times Rattray (1932) include the Birifor as good as the Dagara of Labouret. Second, the names take away hold changed over time. People who were known as "Lobi" inwards the Lawra District of Republic of Ghana at the kickoff of the nineteenth century are at nowadays "Dagara." Third, the names themselves oftentimes do non depict distinct ethnic groups. There are many differences inwards custom in addition to organisation betwixt neighboring settlements, in addition to these settlements may live referred to past times the ii quasi-directional terms, "Lo" (Lobi, west) in addition to "Dagaa" (east), to distinguish different practices (for example, the usage of xylophones). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 settlement may spot amongst its eastern neighbors on ane occasion (as Dagaa) in addition to amongst its western ones (as Lo) on another. This histrion usage has led Goody to spot a spectrum of peoples, the LoDagaa, who usage these names for reference to themselves in addition to others. They are, from westward to east, the truthful Lobi, the Birifor or LoBirifor, the LoPiel (around Nandom) in addition to the LoSaala (around Lawra), the Dagara (around Dano), the LoWiili (around Birifu), both DagaaWiili (around Tugu), in addition to the Dagaba or Dagarti. The Wala speak the Dagaba linguistic communication in addition to constitute a little province that has its origins eastward inwards Dagomba. That province established itself as ruler over the southern Dagaba in addition to some Grusi-speaking peoples. In the west, a branch of the ruling dynasty extended across the Black Volta to Buna, where they adapted the local Kulango language. The LoPiel in addition to the LoSaala are known to francophones as "Dagara" (or Dagara-Lobr), in addition to they at nowadays mostly usage this term rather than "Lobi" for self-reference because they take away hold been forced to assort themselves unambiguously for administrative purposes. That alter is widespread because "Dagara" is oftentimes a to a greater extent than prestigious term than "Lobi." The latter is associated inwards many people's minds amongst the large lip plugs of gourd or metallic that are worn inwards the westward (the easterners vesture lean metallic plugs) in addition to amongst the stress that the westerners spot on matrilineal inheritance, nigh which modernizers (church, schools, law, some administrators) mostly experience hostile in addition to ambivalent.
Dr Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor, Ethnic Dagaaba man, Ghanaian politician, constabulary lecturer, Member of Parliament for Lawra, sometime Minister for Justice in addition to Attorney General, Minister for Health, Minister for Interior in addition to currently government minister of Defence
Given these contextual, overlapping, in addition to changing usages past times the peoples themselves, histrion names are rarely satisfactory to dot "tribal" groups, past times which nosotros refer to larger groupings of settlements amongst relatively homogeneous practices. These groups tin live distinguished, roughly from eastward to west, as the Dagaba or Dagarti (around Jirapa); the LoPiel (around Nandom) in addition to the LoSaala (around Lawra), both "Dagara Lobr" inwards French; the DagaaWiili (around Legmoin in addition to Tugu) in addition to the LoWiili (around Birifu), both "Dagara Wiilé" inwards French; the Birifor or LoBirifor (around Batié in addition to inwards western Gonja); in addition to the Lobi or LoWiilisi (around Gaoua). There are, inwards addition, the smaller populations of Gan, Dorossié, in addition to Gian, who speak Lobi languages, in addition to Teguessié, in addition to who speak Kulango. These groups tin live collectively designated as the LoDagaa or Lobi-Dagarti cluster, in that location beingness no argue to exclude the other Dagara-speaking peoples in ane trial the Birifor take away hold been included amidst the Lobi.
Dagaaba kids coming from the farm inwards photo-shot amongst Kirstin, fellow member of Vetinarians Without Borders, at Nadowli, Upper West Region, Ghana. Courtesy http://vwbvsfstudentghana2010.blogspot.com/
Dagaaba Creation Story/Myth
The Dagaaba creation story tin live found in Bagre performance that demonstrates the spiritual importance of the surround to Dagaaba. According to Dannabang Kuwabong "Bagre informs us that humans were created from a combination of the soil (earth), okra (plants), God’s saliva (water), in addition to the semen in addition to eggs of flies in addition to cats (animals). Seen this way, the human someone is a configuration of the land, the animal, the spirit, in addition to the flora in addition to nosotros owe our lives to a preservation of the remainder betwixt us in addition to these initiative of all beings. In other words, animals, plants, spirits, in addition to the dry soil must constantly live negotiated amongst as they take away hold a closer affinity amongst the divine who oversees everything. That explains why Dagaaba regard spirituality inwards every creation in addition to situation."
Dagao adult man from Burkina Faso
Language
The Dagaaba speaks the Dagaare language ((also spelled Dagare, Dagari, Dagarti, Dagaran or, Dagao), which belongs to the Oti-Volta grouping of the Gur branch of the Niger-Congo linguistic communication solid unit of measurement (Swadesh 1966, Bendor-Samuel1971:144, Naden 1989).
Ethnic Dagao Cardinal Peter Poreku Dery.
Dagaare is a two-toned linguistic communication also referred to as Mabia subgroup of the branch of the Niger-Congo linguistic communication of West Africa. (Bodomo 1997, Bodomo 2000, Anttila in addition to Bodomo 2001). It is spoken past times nigh 2 ane one one thousand thousand people, mainly inwards Republic of Ghana but also inwards neighbouring regions of West Africa, similar Burkina Faso in addition to the Ivory Coast. Phonologically speaking, Dagaare in addition to other Mabia languages, including Moore, Dagbane, Frafra, Kusaal, Mampruli in addition to Buli, are marked past times a preponderance of consonants in addition to a scarcity of vowel sounds when compared to Indo-European languages, such as English linguistic communication in addition to French (Bodomo, forthcoming). One distinctive phonological characteristic is the double joint of some consonants. These include labio-velar
stops similar /gb/ /kp/ in addition to /ngm/. Such features, rare inwards Indo-European languages, are a mutual characteristic in
many African languages. The labio-velar in addition to velar sounds are partially complementary, as inwards the alternate
causative/non-causative forms of the verbs k/ kp i, ‘die’ inwards Dagaare. Regular allophones oftentimes involve /d/ in addition to /r/, in addition to /g/ in addition to // across the diverse languages. There may also live limited cases of gratis variation as it is betwixt /h/ in addition to /z/ inwards the Dagaare word, ha a / za a , ‘all’.
There is the typological characteristic of vowel harmony inwards Dagaare in addition to many Mabia languages. Words similar ko go
(‘chair’), bi i ri (‘(‘children’), in addition to tu u ro (‘digging’) are pronounced amongst tense or advanced natural language root vowels, patch words similar k)b) (‘bones’), biiri (‘to brew “pito” the 2nd day’), tuur) (‘insulting’) are pronounced amongst lax or unadvanced natural language root vowels. Front rounded vowels, found inwards languages similar French in addition to Norwegian, in addition to dorsum unrounded vowels are absent inwards these languages, except when phonetically realized inwards particular environments.
Syllabic nasality is also a typological characteristic inwards these languages. These are realized inwards some environments,
most oftentimes as pronouns in addition to particles; as inwards the instance of the Dagaare tertiary someone pronoun /N/ as inwards m `ba , (‘my father’), n`zu (‘my head’) in addition to inwards the Dagaare particle, -N which is a cliticized shape of the polarity
marker, la.
Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri aka Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II, Ethnic Dagarti adult man in addition to sometime Inspector General of Police (IGP) inwards Republic of Ghana in addition to the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area inwards his smock sitting inwards the middle. Courtesy FH Communications Bureau
Dagaare in addition to other Mabia languages primarily take away hold ii tonal systems, high in addition to low, (respectively marked
past times acuate in addition to grave diachritics on the sounds amongst contain them) amongst cases of downstep inwards some of the
languages, i.e. subsequent high tones may non live as high as preceeding ones. These tones serve to express
both lexical in addition to grammatical oppositions as inwards the Dagaare verbs, da` (‘push’), /da` (‘buy’), in addition to as inwards the
declarative in addition to hortative readings of pronouns e.g.u` kuli la yiri / `u` kuli la yiri ((‘He went home/ He should
go home’).
Dagaare, in addition to its grouping of languages, usually manifest opened upward syllables. Both CV in addition to CVC syllables tin be
reconstructed, but it is usually possible to insert a lastly syllable. Thus, the Dagaare verb ‘to leave’, may live realized either as bar` or bar i`. There are also dialectal differences amongst abide by to these ii forms.
.An of import typological characteristic of these languages is the scheme of substantive classes. Noun class
manifestation is a mutual characteristic for Niger-Congo languages, but patch most of these languages usage a
prefixal pattern, i.e. cases inwards which nominal inflections occur before, rather than, after the root, Mabia
languages mostly usage a scheme of grade suffixes. These are typically based on singular/plural alternations.
Most nouns be inwards iii forms: the root, the singular, in addition to the plural. An illustration is the Dagaare give-and-take for
‘woman/wife’: p)g- (root), p)ga (singular), p) gba (plural), amongst the farther vowel assimilation inwards some
dialects to give us p)g)` in addition to p)gb).
Bede Ziedeng, Ethnic Dagao in addition to Ghanaian politico in addition to the sometime Upper West Regional Minister of Ghana
Another of import typological characteristic within Dagaare in addition to its grouping of languages is verb morphology. In
most of these languages in that location is a regular shape of marking perfective in addition to imperfective aspects past times adding
suffixes to the verbs, as inwards zoe` ‘have run’ in addition to zoro` ‘running’.
As far as possible, the diverse texts associated amongst the music on this recording are presented amongst tonal
transcriptions. For phrases in addition to larger chunks of data, nosotros provide interlinear glossings. These glossings
provide interesting insights into the grammatical in addition to communicative construction of the Dagaare language.
Finally, gratis translations follow the glosses to capture salient aspects of the linguistic in addition to cultural meaning
behind these texts. This linguistic information transcription is an of import aspect for the analysis and
interpretation of the music texts. The next is an illustration:
Ka` Ne3` bi`eng wa` b)ng ba`waa tenee` paal`ong bi`e naa
COMP person Child. FOC NEG know ba`waa 1. PL area kid NEG
(‘If a kid doesn’t know how to trip the low-cal fantastic baawaa s/he cannot peradventure live a kid from our town.’)
Ethnic Dagao, Mr Ambrose Dery, Ghana`s sometime Attorney-Genera in addition to government minister of Justice in addition to a sometime Member of Parliament for Lawra
History
The Dagaaba take away hold occupied their acquaint homeland for some iii hundred years. H Labouret, inwards his study of migration inwards this area, suggests that the Dagaaba moved north, from due south of Wa, inwards nigh 1680; G Tuurey (1982) holds that the Dagaaba were originally a grouping which split away from the Dagomba. See also Herbert (1976). Bodomo suggests that the Dagaaba, Mossi, Dagomba, Kusasi, Farefare, Mamprusi in addition to others are direct descended from a mutual ancestor ethnolinguistic group, the Mabia.
In his article "Customary Law of the Dagara” of Northern Ghana: Indigenous Rules or a Social Construction," published inwards 2002 edition of Journal of Dagaare Studies, Vol 2, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor quoting other sources posited that "The dominant thesis has it that the Dagara are a rebel grouping that migrated away from the autocratic dominion of Dagbon, nether the legendary Na Nyanse (see Tuurey, 1982; Lentz, 1997).Retinue og Dagaaba chiefs, drummers in addition to dancers at annual Bong Ngo festival at Jirapa
The Lobi-Dagarti peoples are without whatsoever overarching tribal organisation or, strictly speaking, whatsoever territory. They displace non as large units, but as solid unit of measurement groups, sometimes into other ethnic areas, where they may live absorbed into the local population. Most of the groups to the westward of the Black Volta claim to take away hold been formerly settled to the eastward of the river, inwards what is at nowadays Ghana. From the eighteenth century on, they take away hold moved across the river. There appear to take away hold been Lobi as good as Dagaba inwards the Wa expanse when the ruling dynasty arrived; the Jãa were surely settled inwards the Lawra expanse until, attracted past times a sparsely populated part amongst plenty of farmland in addition to wood create in addition to nether pressure level from other LoDagaa, mainly from the due south in addition to southwest (but fifty-fifty from westward of the river), they crossed the Black Volta. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minority of clans draw their origins from other regions.
One of the factors leading to the motion has been the search for to a greater extent than in addition to improve land, next before hunting expeditions. Another factor has been the raids mounted past times the states of the part (as good as past times the occasional freebooters in addition to adventurers) inwards their search for slaves, partly for their ain usage but mainly to render the Asante and, through them, the Europeans inwards the south. The invaders on horseback terrified the inhabitants, who sometimes retaliated amongst poisoned arrows. Mainly, however, they fled, using the larger rivers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of characteristics—their dispersed settlements of fortress-type houses, the women's lip plugs, their rejection of cloth, in addition to their full general aggressiveness—have been attributed to the effects of such raids. In the belatedly twentieth century houses are smaller, the way of clothing is to a greater extent than "European," in addition to less hostility is displayed.
The establishment of the international boundary has brought nigh a decline inwards east-west migration. The main motion of the Lobi inwards the belatedly twentieth century has been of ii kinds. The initiative of all has been from the Lawra District to the vacant lands southward on the route to Kumasi, which many men take away hold traveled inwards the dry out flavor as migrant laborers. Settlements that create nutrient for sale inwards the markets take away hold grown upward from Wa due south to the northwest of Asante. The 2nd movement, kickoff inwards 1917, has been eastward across the Black Volta from the francophone territories to Ghana, where in that location were fewer calls past times the regime on task services. Many Birifor moved into the sparsely populated lands of western Gonja, which had been decimated as a final result of Samori's wars at the halt of the nineteenth century. These migrants take away hold proved to live much to a greater extent than aggressive, market-oriented farmers than their hosts, amongst whom in that location has been some conflict over taxes in addition to representation.
Beautiful Dagaaba immature adult woman grinding grain
Settlement
Settlements inwards the expanse consist of named units that are usually centered on a specific parish or ritual expanse of an ground shrine. Among the Dagaaba, most houses are made of mud and/or cement amongst either thatched, laterite or aluminum roofs. These settlements are inhabited past times members of several exogamous lineages housed inwards fortress-type compounds amongst 2.5meter-high walls, a apartment roofs, in addition to entrances reached (at to the lowest degree formerly) past times wooden ladders to the roofs. These houses are some 100 meters apart in addition to contain an average of xv persons, but they vary inwards size, depending on the province of the developmental cycle of the domestic group. Around the walls lies the chemical compound farm, which is fertilized past times human detritus in addition to is used past times the women to flora their soup vegetables. It is adjoined past times spot farms; bush farms prevarication much farther away. The settlements consist of some 250 to 750 inhabitants.
Each of these compounds is inhabited by, amidst others, an simple family, consisting of a man, his married adult woman or wives in addition to children. Such a solid unit of measurement is established through marriage.
Dagaaba people
Economy
Subsistence in addition to Commercial Activities. The economic scheme is essentially ane of the hoe farming of cereals (sorghum, pennisetum [pearl millet], maize), together amongst some yams, especially inwards the southern areas that are occupied past times migrants. In addition, people grow squashes, peppers, beans (including Bambara beans), groundnuts, in addition to a piffling rice. Some of this create is sold inwards the local markets, especially sorghum inwards the shape of beer. Most compounds also possess a herd of cows, in addition to some sheep, goats, guinea fowl, in addition to chickens, which are mainly killed as sacrifices to live distributed.
Dagarti farmers inwards their farm at Jirapa
Industrial Arts in addition to Trade. Lobi women create a sure amount of gold, which finds its way into the hands of Dyula traders. Associated amongst before gilt workings, it has been suggested, are the ruins of stone houses. Since the advent of colonial rule, the relative peace that it brought nigh in addition to the cheaper atomic number 26 tools that it provided take away hold led to increased production, evidence of which tin live seen inwards the markets. That increment is also truthful for livestock. Along amongst wage task (performed either locally or as migrants), these developments take away hold increased purchasing power. Whereas piffling was imported before except salt, at nowadays large amounts of textile are brought in, in addition to other manufactured objects, such as matches, bicycles, transistor radios, in addition to household utensils, are used inwards considerable quantities. Local arts and crafts production consists of atomic number 26 implements, brass bangles in addition to other ornaments, musical instruments, some wood carvings, in addition to woven mats.
Today migration—both of the uneducated, seeking piece of work as laborers, in addition to of the educated, who mostly piece of work inwards the towns—is frequent. The historic catamenia of migrants is at nowadays much lower than formerly, in addition to the duration of their absences is much greater. The final result is that larger numbers of houses are inhabited past times old men, women, in addition to children who take away hold to carry out the agricultural piece of work without the aid they would take away hold received from the migrants. Thus, the sexual partitioning of task has been altered. The south, however, is kickoff to lose some of its attraction as the international economic scheme affects the recruitment of labor, potential recruits are frightened past times tales of AIDS.
The LoDagaa (including the Lobi) were non themselves traders (except inwards the province of Wa), but major north-south merchandise routes of Dyula in addition to Hausa merchants ran through the expanse from the wood to the Sahel.
Food
Some of the differences that be betwixt the Dagaare-speaking communities are somehow subtle in addition to non easily noticeable past times the on-looker. For example, although the staple dish amidst the Dagaaba is saabo or Sao (called "to" inwards many other African languages), the constitution/texture of this millet, sorghum or maize-based repast may vary from ane community to the other. In addition, the soup that is eaten amongst the saabo may live prepared inwards a slightly different way inwards spite of the fact that virtually the same ingredients may live used inwards each case. Meat is non considered an of import food, except inwards special meals for instance at funerals. Apart from these occasions, only guinea fowl are slaughtered for regular consumption.
Division of Labor
Farming was mostly done past times men, but women helped amongst the planting in addition to the harvesting. In some places, women would organize men to farm for a friend past times brewing plenty of beer. Women cultivated soup vegetables, collected wood produce, carried loads, gathered firewood, fetched water, extracted oil, in addition to prepared nutrient in addition to beer.
Dagaaba women of Lawra grinding grain amongst a pestles inwards a huge wooden Mortar
Grinding grain, inwards particular, was a lengthy process. Their workload is at nowadays changing as a outcome of the introduction of wells in addition to mills. Men carried out the heavy agricultural work, looked after livestock, in addition to hunted. Both sexes took component subdivision inwards solid edifice during the dry out season.
Land Tenure
Dagaaba traditional ethics of belongings ownership is that no private tin actually ain land. Land ownership is communitarian, custodial, in addition to spiritual. The powerfulness to usage dry soil is invested inwards the Tengdaana (spiritual guardian of the land). The Tengdaana guards the dry soil on behalf of the people, in addition to mediates amidst the people, the ancestors, the spirit world, in addition to God. He is the High Priest responsible for leading the people inwards prayer inwards times of great need, thanksgiving, purification rituals of the land, in addition to other spiritual matters. His spot cannot live morally in addition to spiritually challenged, fifty-fifty though he may lack the political say-so or the powerfulness of legal coercion to carry out his orders in addition to interpretations of the divine volition that underpin Dagaaba ‘lesereng’ in addition to ‘Nabaale Yele’ legal civilization in addition to customary do (Yelpaala 1983:367-372, Yelpaala 1992:454-459). Nonetheless, the Tendaana is the only someone who can, in addition to who does, sacrifice to the ground Goddess. The Tendaana’s role ensures that amidst Dagaaba dry soil ownership is egalitarian, collective, communitarian, in addition to usufructory (Nsiah- Gyabaah 1994). By extension, he oversees the safety in addition to sustainability of dry soil usage amidst the people. Accordingly in addition to ideally, no private traditionally has the moral or political correct or powerfulness to completely invalidate some other person’s entitlement to dry soil use, or to destroy the land’s sustainability
through bad dry soil usage practices. For this reason, the highest business office of Dagaaba is that of the Tengdaana,
in addition to non that of the king.
At sure times, dry soil tenure took the shape of a hierarchy of rights distributed within the lineage. At ane level, dry soil was "owned" past times the wider patrilineage, in addition to if whatsoever dry soil was non beingness farmed, other members had a claim to usage it. Use rights were exclusive in addition to to a greater extent than of import where dry soil was scarce or especially valuable (because of water). Where population density was low, it sufficed to approach the local Master of the Earth, who would perform a simple sacrifice.
Kinship
Kin Groups in addition to Descent. Across the LoDagaa cluster, roughly from eastward to west, in that location is an increasing emphasis on the role of matrilineal descent groups. In the east, the Dagaba are organized on the ground of patrilineal descent groups alone. Several of these exogamous units be inwards each parish. These lineages, which draw patrilineal relationships betwixt their members, belong to wider named clans, segments of which are found inwards widely dispersed settlements, fifty-fifty those of different "ethnic" groups, roughly tracing out lines of migration. Groups to the westward also take away hold matrilineal clans, in addition to all except the Wiili (and formerly fifty-fifty some of the LoWiili) inherit dry soil in addition to immovables agnatically in addition to inherit movables (wealth, cattle) through the uterine line. Hence, the patricians are locally based, but the matriclans are dispersed. These groups are hence variants of classic double-descent systems.
Patrilineal clans are numerous, each amongst its ain prohibitions, oftentimes against the killing of a totemic animate beingness or the eating of foods inwards a particular way. The clans are paired inwards joking relationships, in addition to their ritual foci are lineage shrines. Among the Lobi and, to some extent, the Birifor, although patrilineal clanship is concealed, it is important inwards landownership in addition to inwards some ritual affairs, especially inwards the Dyoro initiations. The matriclans, correct across the cluster, are basically 4 inwards number—Some, Da, Hienbe, in addition to Kambire. The initiative of all ii in addition to the lastly ii are paired inwards joking relationships, which are especially of import at funerals. These dispersed matriclans take away hold particular loci where sacrifices are occasionally performed.
Bewaa grouping performing at the Kobine festival inwards Lawra, Upper West Region.
Kinship Terminology. In a double-descent system, ane tin refer to whatsoever kin either inwards the patrilineal or inwards the matrilineal mode. The patrilineal mode is Omaha, whereas the matrilineal ane is Crow. The ascendence of these different modes depends upon the strength of the relevant groups. Kinship terms tin live confusing to the casual observer of the Dagaaba. The terms “brothers” in addition to “sisters” do non only refer to people ane shares parents amongst but also to all cousins. There is no Dagaare equivalent of the term “cousin”. Similarly, wives of males of the same descent may refer to each other’s children as “daughters” or “sons”. There is no such give-and-take as “step-child” although children mostly know who their existent mothers are in addition to women may sometimes care for step-children differently from the way they care for their ain children.
Another confusing term is n pog, my wife, used past times both males in addition to females, inwards reference to a brother’s wife. There is usually a joking human relationship betwixt people in addition to their brothers’ wives. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 adult woman pretends to live a adult man when bully jokes amongst the brother’s wife, hence the usage of “my wife” or n pog, which she may also used inwards everyday linguistic communication exterior the joking context. N pog may also live used past times a grandpa inwards reference to a granddaughter in addition to n seere (my husband) used past times a grandmother inwards reference to a grandson. Grandchildren in addition to grandparents usually take away hold a joking human relationship that facilitates a special type of bonding, making it easier for the old ones to impart their knowledge in addition to wisdom on the piffling ones. The higher upward joking
relationships are different from what exists betwixt all Dagaaba in addition to ane of their neighboring groups - the Frafra - which is referred to as loloroung. The Frafra are lolorobo or joking partners of the Dagaaba in addition to this has cypher to do amongst the denie or play that exists betwixt kinsmen as exemplified above.
Dagaaba women
Marriage in addition to Family
Marriage.
Incest taboo is observed inwards all the Dagaare-speaking communities of West Africa. In some cases, the slightest indication of a blood relationship, no affair how distant, is plenty argue for a prospective distich non to live allowed to proceed amongst their matrimony plans. In other cases, matrilateral cross-cousin marriages are permissible in addition to encouraged. Among the LoWiili, a woman’s first-born immature adult woman is encouraged to marry
(and sometimes, as an infant, betrothed to) her maternal uncle’s boy (i.e. matrimony betwixt the children of a sis in addition to a brother). This is supposed to strengthen the human relationship betwixt a woman’s patrikin in addition to her husband’s kin, who are at nowadays her kin due to the marriage. Such matrilateral cross cousin marriages may also involve a woman’s sons in addition to girls from the woman’s patrikin. These kinds of marriages give parents the peace of hear (knowing who their children are getting married to) in addition to also aid found satisfactory relations betwixt the in-laws.
In the eastern groups, matrimony is strictly virilocal in addition to is effected past times the transfer of bride-wealth inwards cowries in addition to later inwards cattle. The transfers pick out spot over time, as the matrimony is consolidated amongst the nascency of children. Traditionally, the groom also had to convey parties to farm for his inlaws from fourth dimension to time, although amidst the educated this do tends to acquire commuted into a monetary payment. Each matrimony invokes the construction of a novel chamber in addition to cooking hearth. Among the Birifor in addition to the Lobi, when a fiancé comes to farm, he may eventually live allowed to pass the nighttime amongst his time to come married adult woman and, later, to take away hold her see his ain solid inwards render for farther work. She did non usually reside permanently inwards her husband's solid until after the nascency of their initiative of all child. Until expiry or divorce, she lives away from the main body of her agnatic kin. Due to the full general lack of transportation, the demand to hold inwards touching amongst one’s patrikin, attention every funeral, visiting the sick, etc., girls are encouraged non to wed to men from villages that are non a walking distance (seven miles or less may live considered as the preferred distance) away from
their agnatic home. Similarly, since in-laws are expected to attend each other’s relatives’ funeral ceremonies, parents are particular nigh how far away their sons go to seek matrimony partners. In fact, all the kinsmen of a immature adult man of matrimony historic catamenia hold their eyes opened upward for the suitable would-be bride in addition to may brand suggestions to the immature adult man as to who is available in addition to ready for matrimony inwards the close past times villages.
In some cases, the selection of a married adult woman in addition to all matrimony arrangements are made without the in-put of the groom. The groom is supposed to pick out their give-and-take for it, when his kinsmen convey spot a lady in addition to say, “this is the best adult woman for you”. According to the Dagaaba elders, an ideal bride is ane that is hard-working, physically fit in addition to strong plenty to live a pog kura (female farmer, capable of all performing such activities as sowing, carrying large loads of firewood, giving nascency to as many boys as possible, etc.), in addition to comes from a solid unit of measurement amongst goodness wellness in addition to conduct.
Another type of organisation for initiative of all marriages is elopement, which occurs at the historic catamenia of puberty. The immature adult woman is persuaded to leave of absence amongst her admirer to his spot or she may live seized past times his kinsmen/colleagues at a dance, marketplace place, or patch sleeping at nighttime in addition to forcibly brought to her would-be husband’s home. Although elopement is usually done amongst the girl’s consent, she is expected to resist in addition to scream the loudest possible
to demo that she is up-right, morally, in addition to non a bitch. Similarly, although some of the girl’s relatives may take away hold been aware of the programme to elope, they may limited anger publicly. The resistance to elopement marks the kickoff of a catamenia of intensive interaction betwixt the girl’s filial in addition to conjugal ties, within which the necessary steps are taken to finalize the courtship in addition to matrimony process.
Other marriages may take away hold less dramatic beginnings. After a immature adult man declares his involvement inwards a girl, his kinsmen accompany him to acquaint his proposal formerly to the kinsmen of the girl. During this catamenia of courtship, the kinsmen of the immature adult man are expected to shower gifts inwards the shape of pito, cola-nuts in addition to money on their in-laws each fourth dimension they brand a trip to the girl’s village. When both parties are satisfied with
the way issues take away hold handled during the courtship period, a solar daytime is fixed for the bride wealth (kyeru) to live brought to the girl’s family. After the transfer of bride wealth has taken place, the immature adult woman (who carries amongst her a number of accessories including calabashes, bowl/basins in addition to baskets) is accompanied past times her kinsmen to her husband’s home. This is known as pog bielle.
Bridewealth: In general, bride wealth amidst the Dagaaba usually involves some amount of cowries, cash, in addition to livestock. The proportions of these diverse items may vary but volition almost ever involve a number of cowries. The cowries and/or cash portion is referred to as the pog libie. Among the LoWiili, the bride wealth consists of a cock in addition to guinea-fowl to the in-laws, in addition to the pog libie, a total of around 20,000 cowries, usually, the same amount that was paid for the girl’s mother. Various rituals accompany the counting in addition to transfer of bride wealth past times the groom’s solid unit of measurement to the bride’s agnatic home. Once the patrikin of the bride have the bride wealth, they also perform a number of rituals during the counting, distribution in addition to storing of it. In general, the bride wealth received for a immature adult woman is used to acquire a married adult woman for a son. Whereas paying the bride wealth of a immature man’s initiative of all married adult woman is the obligation of his solid unit of measurement elders, if he wishes to acquire polygamous, he volition mostly live solely responsible for paying the bride wealth of these subsequent wives.
The diverse rituals performed during the counting in addition to transfer past times the groom’s relatives as good as those (the rituals) that go on during the counting in addition to credence of the bride wealth, are tied to the fertility in addition to fidelity of the bride. If some of the rituals are non good done, the adult woman could take away hold difficulty bearing children during the marriage. It is also believed that in ane trial those rituals take away hold been performed in addition to the bride wealth accepted, in addition to so whatsoever infidelity on the component subdivision of the adult woman could final result inwards her expiry if she does non confess forthwith in addition to go through purification rites/rituals.
Birth: When it is noticed that a adult woman is pregnant the husband’s begetter consults a soothsayer (baga) to know who should live asked to “throw water“ at her. She is in addition to so called out of her hut in addition to the appropriate someone “throws water“; from in addition to so on she in addition to others may shout out the pregnancy.
She gives nascency inwards the chaani or kyaaraa (inner room) of her husband’s house, attended past times old women in addition to nascency attendants.
A kid may live named at 7 days old; inwards the instance of a kid who cries a lot the soothsayer may tell the chemical compound caput that an ancestor wishes to live the child’s segeraa; a segeraa must take away hold died amongst white hair. People may in addition to so say that ancestor has “come dorsum home“.
Boys are circumcised at a infirmary or past times traditional experts at the historic catamenia of 1 or 2 weeks. Female genital mutilation was formerly practised betwixt the ages of 5 in addition to 10 years but was discontinued inwards the 1940s in addition to 1950s.
Domestic Unit
The domestic unit of measurement is mostly built on agnatic ties, given that wives bring together their husbands at marriage, but amidst the Lobi in addition to Birifor, men do extensive bride-service, in addition to some immature children may grow upward amongst their mother's brothers before their woman parent leaves for her husband's house. In most cases, the farming grouping is small. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 adult man in addition to his sons may farm together for a longer catamenia amidst the groups inwards which patricians dominate. The spot grouping that occupies a chemical compound may consist of several farming groups, in addition to each farming grouping may live divided into smaller eating groups.
Inheritance
Among the Dagaba in addition to the Wiili, a man's belongings passes initiative of all to his total brothers, if they are farming together, in addition to and so to his sons. Among the LoPiel, the LoSaala, the Birifor, in addition to the Lobi, dry soil passes inwards the paternal line, whereas movable belongings is transmitted initiative of all to uterine siblings in addition to and so to sisters' sons, leading to before splits inwards the domestic groups in addition to to tensions betwixt a adult man in addition to his mother's brothers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 woman's belongings mostly goes to her daughters if it is sex-linked, but livestock may go to her sons.
A man’s blood brother or other unopen relative may wed or aid for his widow, seem after his children, in addition to inherit his gods in addition to voodoo toys.
Dagaaba adult woman amongst her ii kids, Jirapa, Upper West Region, Ghana
Young children are looked after past times their mothers in addition to are breast-fed until they tin walk in addition to talk, when they "become humans" in addition to are thus entitled to a proper burial (see "Death in addition to Afterlife"). Later on, they are cared for past times elderberry sisters or relatives, who involve them inwards their play. Boys go off inwards groups to herd cattle, whereas girls play to a greater extent than domestic games about the compound, helping their mothers from fourth dimension to fourth dimension past times fetching H2O or grinding in addition to pounding cereals. Among the Lobi, girls also seem after cattle, although boys in addition to girls hand this responsibleness to their juniors when they are initiated into the Dyoro society.
Dagaaba women of Nandom dancing
Sociopolitical Organization
Political Organization. Except for the Wala in addition to the Gan, as good as the Kaleo the peoples of this grouping lacked chieftainship in addition to telephone substitution political organisation until the coming of colonial rule. Inferring from Yelpaala’s (1992) article, the political organisation of the Dagaaba was, until the imposition of colonialism, decentralized inwards its full general structure.
Dagaaba people of Nadowli
From the outside, it mightiness take away hold appeared amorphous in addition to non easily susceptible to analysis, for its organisation in addition to institutions were non defined inwards terms of the total territorial unit of measurement but inwards terms of sub-territorial areas teni (villages) referred to past times Goody as parishes, in addition to past times Fortes inwards his study of the Tallensi as settlements. The political organisation of each teng (village) exhibited a sure grade of centralization of say-so amongst a really limited vertical structure. The telephone substitution say-so was cross-hauled from the elders (ninbere) of different kin-based groups within the territorial area. This body was the basic establishment dealing amongst most issues of full general community interest. All elders amongst the exception of the custodians of the dry soil (tendaana) inwards sure cases, were theoretically co-equals inwards all deliberations. However, inwards matters that related to the teng in addition to the dry soil deity (tengan), the tendaana was the lastly authority. Thus depending on the issues involved, the telephone substitution say-so was either circular amongst its functions based on consultation in addition to consensus, or unidirectional, from the tendaana downwards to the ease of society.
In every hamlet (teng), this basic construction to a greater extent than or less replicated itself. Each teng however, enjoyed an independent autonomous existence from the others. Therefore, the society was at the same fourth dimension centralized at the unit of measurement plane in addition to decentralized at the total societal level. Centralization within the little units provided the useful banking concern check on the abuses or excesses inwards the usage of centralized political power. On really of import and
broader cultural or extraterritorial issues involving non-Dagaaba, such as warfare or resistance against slave raiding, these centralized institutions would coordinate, cooperate or deliberate as a larger telephone substitution unit. However, these higher plane organizations did non appear to involve the total territorial expanse of the Dagaaba. Yet, taking whatsoever territorial unit of measurement as a starting point, that unit of measurement was linked separately to all other contiguous units past times a chain of mutual culture, mutual descent, in addition to political or legal cooperation. Each of these other units was also separately in addition to similarly linked to yet other contiguous territorial units until the chain of interlocking linkages involve the entire Dagawie. Depending on the issues at stake, contiguity, consanguinity, historical ties in addition to the plane of sophistication inwards the native fine art of diplomacy, cooperation or integration betwixt different territorial units was great or little inwards amplitude. The basic philosophy which guided the interaction of all telephone substitution authorities at the larger unit of measurement plane was equality. All element units functioned as co-equals, for the Dagaaba say that doo bii pog ba gangna o to (i.e., no adult man or adult woman is superior to their peer). This then, has been in addition to continues to live the ground of egalitarian thought amidst the Dagaaba, what is called the traditional level. Within the national political structure, Dagaaba political thought, similar all other traditional systems, is relegated to an inferior status.
Social Control in addition to Conflicts
The main causes of conflict were rights to women in addition to access to wood products. Within the parish, conflicts of this variety were rare because of kin ties in addition to abide by for the ground shrine. Strong sanctions existed against adultery, theft, in addition to other delicts, which were settled within in addition to betwixt local lineages. More recently, local chiefs in addition to headmen take away hold exercised supervision on behalf of the government, in addition to local courts of constabulary take away hold been established.
Crime in addition to penalization are just as much issues of politics as they of religion. Until recently, theft was a rare occurrence amidst the Dagaaba. It was taken as a really repulsive in addition to anti-social human activity condemned past times all, including the spirits in addition to the ancestors who could live invoked whenever necessary to punish a thief severely. Theft is so much looked downward upon that it is non uncommon to hear a someone trying to show her/his integrity, say that (s)he does non steal or rob - N ba zuuro, n ba faara. In a society where houses take away hold virtually no door panels nor to locks, in that location is understandably a full general demand for trust in addition to social cohesion.
In Dagaare, the term iibo signifies the full general normative value scheme roofing established in addition to accepted norms, principles, practices, procedures which regulation life inwards full general in addition to disputing inwards particular. It is when a specific conduct is inwards conflict amongst the Dagaaba iibo that ane may live characterized as deviant. In low-cal of this concept of iibo, therefore, the Dagaaba may live viewed as a unified group, vis-á-vis other non-Dagaaba, including their neighbors.
Dagaagba women of Nadowli at their Nadowli Womens meeting
Religious Belief
Dagaaba take away hold strong believe in Naangmen (older spelling Naamwin), supreme God in addition to creator og the Universe. He is goodness in addition to omnipotent but has no shrines, so in that location is no way of communication amongst him. Mwin way “sun“, in addition to Naamwin is sometimes identified amongst sun, sky, or rain. Goody, inwards The myth of the Bagre, maintains that God’s practical alienation from his universe is thought of past times the Dagaaba as a component subdivision of the work of evil. “If he were to go on inwards his primordial role“, says Goody, “our problems would non exist. With his aid, disease, evil, in addition to misfortune could live banished“.
In addition, Dagaaba strongly believe in addition to reverence the ‘Mother Earth’ (Tengbane). Tengbane or Mother ground is the 2nd most powerful deity after the supreme God, Naangmen. Therefore the Dagao sees the ground or physical surround as sacred and divine; that they are born from the earth, live on in addition to through it, volition live buried inwards it; in addition to that they volition join the ancestors who, though invisible, are nonetheless located inwards the surround amongst other spiritual beings. This is good articulated inwards Bagre narrative, in addition to shows that as our Mother, nosotros owe our life to Earth. It is from her thorax that the milk of sustenance is drawn, whether it is water, food, soil, wood, or herbal medicine, in addition to it is to her womb that nosotros shall render inwards death. Likewise, Kukure (1985:55) sees ground as the ‘controlling agency inwards life, the source of fertility, of prosperity, [and] of survival [. . . .] Moreover the [Earth must give an line organisation human relationship of all that takes spot on [her] surface. [She] reports to God the actions of the living, non only of humans, but also of beasts. Hence, the someone who is on goodness terms amongst the [Earth] (and ancestors) is also on goodness terms amongst God.’ This belief scheme has generated a conceptual frame in which the Dagaaba do non relate to their surround through an ideology of domination, but rather through responsive negotiation.
Dagaaba earth-priest (tengdaana)
responsible for many things that brand human life what it is, Sagbane is responsible for rain, sunshine, and moonlight, in addition to the unseen energies of stars, thunder in addition to lightning. Even though Sagbane is the Father, he is secondary inwards importance to Tengbane during invocatory prayers of Dagaaba. Tengbane comes second to Naangmen. It is also on line organisation human relationship of Sagbane’s secondary spot that His priest, the Saadaana, does non characteristic really much inwards Dagaaba daily existence, in addition to the business office is non found inwards every settlement. It is to Tengbane that daily libations are poured. Tengbane is Goddess, in addition to the Mother of Bagre; she must not live polluted. When Tengbane is polluted, efforts are initiated to perform the appropriate in addition to necessary
sacrifices for the restoration of the broken remainder betwixt the self, the community, Tengbane, the spirit
world, in addition to finally amongst Nangmen. Because Tengbane covers the earth’s surface, it becomes the universal
altar upon which humans, represented past times Dagaaba, gather to pray for rain, cure to epidemics, victory in
wars, goodness harvests, or the settlement of a novel village. It is to Tengbane that immigrants are taken for
induction into the clan. It is for these reasons in addition to others also many to enumerate hither that the High Priest of Tengbane, the Tengdaana, holds the highest socio-spiritual in addition to moral say-so inwards whatsoever Dagaaba village. Each settlement of, say, 300 to 1,000 people has an “earth-shrine” (tengbane) in addition to an earth-priest (tengdaana) which is usually situated inwards a grove inwards a telephone substitution component subdivision of the settlement. Sacrifices are performed past times an earth-priest in addition to his assistants, also past times patriclan representatives. In addition, anyone may brand sacrifices to the ground simply past times edifice a little mound past times the path leading to the shrine.
Dagaaba “earth-shrine” (tengbane)
Certain prohibitions are linked amongst the earth-shrine; for instance large sacrifices must live made if people shed ane another’s blood, or if someone commits suicide. It is also a serious offence to take away hold sexual practice out-of-doorsThe complex cosmological human relationship Dagaaba take away hold amongst Tengbane is reflected inwards the mediatory role played past times the Tengdaana in addition to Tengbane betwixt the people in addition to Naangmen. It must live stressed hither that Dagaaba take away hold as many Tengbama (plural for Tengbane) in addition to Tengdaamba (plural for Tengdaana) as in that location are settlements. This does non inwards anyway dot whatsoever conflictual relationships amongst the Tengbane. The diverse Tengbama stand upward for settlement patterns, in addition to must live seen as parishes of the same Goddess. Each Tengdaana in addition to so becomes a parish priest, performing the same functions, amongst local variation, to an omnipresent in addition to omniscient Tengbane
Lesser spiritual powers include ngmimi or weni. Saa ngmin is the pelting god (saa way rain); Bo wen is the Bagre god who looks after the granary in addition to farming.
Dagaaba ancestral shrine wooden carvings
The Dagaaba spiritual realm is also inhabited past times spirits, both ancestral in addition to pre-human. For instance, the Kongtongbilii, what Goody (1972) translates as ‘beings of the wild’, be within both the spiritual in addition to environmental consciousness of Dagaaba. There are also the diverse deities who take away hold been delegated territorial say-so past times Nangmen inwards the universe. It is Kongtongbilii in addition to these other spiritual beings in addition to deities who aid humans to brand spiritual journeys dorsum to Nangmen in addition to His married adult woman inwards the heaven to consort amongst them nigh the important of life in addition to death. In monastic enjoin to brand that journey, Dagaaba initiative of all invoke Tengbane, in addition to so the ancestors, in addition to other lesser spirits. Together, they aid them clarify their vision for the journey.
Medicine shrines (tiib), made for instance of dried sticks, may live placed at a solid entrance. They are acquired as a remedy for sickness or some other problem.
Dagaaba shrine
Ancestor shrines are sticks carved roughly inwards human shape, in addition to every deceased adult man who left a boy to succeed him is commemorated inwards this way. They are kept inwards the cattle byre, which is thus the most sacred room inwards the house. Their jurisdiction extends to lineage kin, in addition to inwards some ways also to matrilineal descendants; all of import events are reported to them. When a adult woman dies her shrine is carried dorsum past times her clan sisters to her birth-place.
The ancestors are invoked amongst animate beingness sacrifice at the kickoff in addition to halt of the farming flavor in addition to when whatsoever calamity threatens the community.
The soothsayer (baga) is appointed at nascency in addition to initiated when he is old plenty to pick out upward the duties
Christianity
Dagaabaland, especially inwards northern Republic of Ghana is the Vatican of Ghana. Despite the fact that over 55% of Dagaaba are traditional African organized religious belief practitioners, the remaining population are unrepentant Roman Catholics.
Ethnic Dagao Cardinal Peter Poreku Dery inwards the wheel after a Pontifical High Mass at Dio Padre Misericordioso, Vatican.
Since the 1930s, volume conversions to Catholicism take away hold taken place, kickoff amidst the LoPiel population about Dissin. The pioneer missionaries, Frs Remigius McCoy in addition to Arthur Paquet (both White Fathers from Canada) in addition to Brother Basilid Koot (from Holland) began piece of work at Jirapa inwards 1929. The handling they gave for yaws in addition to other prevalent diseases created immediate interest. Within x months in that location were ii catechumens, in addition to despite some persecution the number grew quickly.
Then inwards 1932 the rains failed. Apr to July, usually the pump of the rainy season, were dry. The ancestors were repeatedly invoked, in addition to countless sacrifices were offered to the traditional gods, but to no avail. At last, on 24 July, the people of Jirapa turned to the piffling Catholic mission, promising generous payment if the God of the Catholic Fathers could succeed where their ain priests had failed. In A brusk history of the Catholic Church inwards Ghana, Helene Pfann describes what happened: "Father McCoy told them that God wanted no presents. He only wanted them to believe that he loved them in addition to would aid them. He took them into the church building in addition to all prayed together. The next night, on July 25th, clouds gathered inwards the heaven over Jirapa and, for the initiative of all fourth dimension inwards months, pelting barbarous inwards torrents. The people were so happy that they ran out of their houses in addition to sang in addition to danced amongst joy, letting the pelting soak them through.
Ghana Archbishop Peter Poreku Dery (in red) is carried past times aides to live elevated to telephone substitution past times Pope Benedict XVI during a ceremony at the Vatican March 24, 2006. He was an ethnic Dagaaba man
The side past times side morn a crowd of Dagaaba, all demanding to acquire Christians, besieged the Mission House . . That rainy flavor 25,000 Dagaaba became adherents. No similar volume conversion had ever before taken spot inwards Africa.
A four-year catechumenate was established, in addition to the Fathers started on the daunting work of teaching this vast novel community. Following the speedy growth of the piece of work at Jirapa novel parishes were opened at Kaleo (1932), Nandom (1933), in addition to at Ko in addition to Daffiama (1952). In 1959 the Dagaaba expanse was created a diocese, amongst the spot of the bishop inwards Wa. There are at nowadays xvi parishes, nearly all Dagaare-speaking, but hardly inwards Wa East in addition to Wa West Districts.
As the numbers grew, iii orders of sisters in addition to ii orders of brothers sent missionaries.
The initiative of all Dagao priest was ordained inwards 1951; past times 1959 in that location were six, in addition to inwards 1984 in that location were inwards the Wa diocese no less than 53 African priests, 98 sisters, in addition to 17 brothers, compared amongst only 8 missionary priests, 17 sisters, in addition to 23 brothers. Fr McCoy, aged 89 when this volume was published inwards 1986, continued to piece of work actively at Jirapa in addition to becane a legend inwards his lifetime. He died Worship in addition to church building life tends to live based on large church building buildings inwards the main towns, to which people come upward from the surrounding villages. For instance Ko, a little town some 10 km off the Nandom road, has a church building 75 metres long (said to live longer than the longest church building inwards Accra), amongst seating for 2,000. Even on weekdays the early on morn volume is attended past times over 100, in addition to the church building is comfortably total on Sundays.
The 14 Dagaare-speaking parishes in all likelihood take away hold a total adult membership exceeding 40,000, which is over xv per cent of the local population. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 farther 10 per cent would telephone telephone themselves Catholics, though non total members.
Cardinal Dery, ethnic Dagao from Republic of Ghana inwards a wheel chair as Cardinal O`Malley ascent to comprehend him.
Whatever questions ane may take away hold nigh the depth of private commitment to Christ, in that location is no incertitude that 50 years of Catholic activity in addition to a really large investment of money in addition to personnel take away hold made a large impact on the Dagaaba way of life. Already inwards the mid-60s the anthropologist Jack Goody found Catholic influence had significantly reduced involvement inwards the Bagre initiation ceremonies inwards the expanse due south of Lawra. Polygamy may non take away hold been eliminated fifty-fifty amidst Catholics, but it has been greatly reduced. Early on in that location was a battle for the correct to care for Dominicus as a solar daytime of rest.
Why take away hold the Dagaaba moved into the Catholic church building inwards such numbers? Clearly a similar investment of personnel in addition to money inwards other areas has yielded much smaller results.
Cardinal Archbishhop Peter Dery, himself ane of the early on Dagaaba converts, explains why his people so readily became Christians:
They are goodness farmers . . . Their moral code was really high in addition to was strictly observed. Their feel of hospitality in addition to generosity was superb. They never practised human sacrifices, in addition to they feared God’s curse on those who did so. In short, they are a people of natural goodness amongst deep abide by for their elders in addition to parents, in addition to a profound feel of worship which they consider a duty towards the ancestors in addition to the “Naabilengmen”, the “god of the kid of man”. These qualities in addition to many to a greater extent than made a goodness soil, a people already prepared to pick out the Good News “en masse”.
A missionary priest made the next points inwards addition: 1) it was slow to interpret traditional sacrifice into the sacrifice of the mass, in addition to prayer to ancestors into veneration of saints; 2) it was slow to interpret the strict morality of the Dagaaba into the x commandments; 3) the Dagaaba are non a proud, dominant tribe but a humble in addition to hard-working ane –- nosotros preach goodness tidings to the poor, in addition to the under-dog tends to respond to a greater extent than quickly; 4) the initiative of all missionaries, amongst their medical in addition to educational work, lived really unopen to the people.
Other churches: Adams Bodomo has said that Dagao is ane of the most heavily Catholic parts of the world exterior of Rome. Until he left the expanse for college he was unaware that whatsoever other expressions of Christianity existed!
Indeed it was non till 1954 that some other church, the Baptist Mid-Missions, started piece of work inwards Wa in addition to ii years later inwards Lawra. By 1986 in that location was a growing church building of 85 members in addition to 4 times as many regular attenders. Though the Baptists had only one-half a dozen churches amidst the Dagaaba they seriously took upward the challenge of literacy in addition to Bible translation work.
The Methodists, who came to Wa nigh the same fourth dimension as the Baptists, had a pastor at Lawra past times 1986 in addition to ii other congregations inwards the Dagaaba expanse amongst a total membership of nigh 50.
Religious Practitioners. Practically every adult is an officiant at some shrine or another, but the main figure is the Master of the ground (tengdaana). Some individuals develop special reputations as diviners (baga). All are involved inwards sacrifices to the ancestors, to the beings of the wild, in addition to to medicine shrines.
Another powerful religious leader according to Bagre hush-hush society functions, is the damdamwule amidst Dagaaba. The damdamwule`s sole life depends on rain-fed agricultural practices,is inwards its powerfulness to know when the rains are due in addition to to percentage this knowledge amongst humans to allow them know that Sieong is here. The damdamwule also acts as an agricultural extension officer, telling the people through its song, when to sow what in addition to when to halt sowing. Those who turn down to recognize its pedagogy of nature through its music sow inwards vain (Goody 1972: ll. 4611-40).
The weather-wise damdamwule is helped past times the n birime (featherless fowl). He or she wakes upward the people at dawn, during Sieong, to go to their farms. It performs this role past times beating its wings early on inwards the morning. The belibaar knows when Kpangkyaanee is close in addition to returns ‘from the pelting side / in addition to flies / where the Sun sets’ (Goody 1972: ll. 4651-53) to warn people to laid out preparing their barns for harvest, in addition to the Bagre. It is thus through the migratory movements of this plane that the elders are able to denote the Bagre in addition to to spot ritual prohibitions on the initiates.
Ceremonies
Annual ceremonies are performed at household shrines, especially at the halt of the farming season. It is toward this fourth dimension that, amidst the telephone substitution groups, neighbors trip the low-cal fantastic inwards the marketplace to celebrate the flowering of the guinea corn. Not long afterward, lineages perform special sacrifices to clan deities, a fourth dimension when they also toxicant their arrows. Traditionally, success inwards the hunt also elicited special ritual performances, as did killing someone inwards war, whether friend or enemy.
Birth in addition to matrimony were accompanied past times piffling ceremonial. Death in addition to burial, on the other hand, were occasions; the funeral ceremonies, which resulted inwards redistribution of the belongings of the dead (including sexual rights) in addition to the creation of an ancestor shrine (if in that location were offspring), lasted for many months in addition to brought mourners from far in addition to wide.
The major ceremonial sequences, however, were those associated amongst hush-hush societies: the Bagre inwards the eastward in addition to the Dyoro inwards the west. The Bagre is performed past times lineages when they take away hold sufficient neophytes (and plenty grain) to carry out a performance, amongst the participation of their neighbors as officiants. During the course of instruction of the long sequence of rites, the neophytes are placed nether a serial of taboos, from which they are gradually released. The rites are accompanied past times an extensive recitation concerning the creation of culture. The Dyoro ceremony involves a see past times patrilineages to special centers, where the ancestors lived before reaching the banks of the Black Volta in addition to where the principal rites of initiation pick out place. Indeed, the ritual reenacts the long-ago migration of the patrician in addition to so preserves a piffling of its history. In the ceremony, which takes spot every vii years, the initiates are killed off in addition to revived.
Bagre Rite of Passage Initiation: Bagre provides voluntary entry into Dagaaba initiation rites of passage. As a medium inwards which a gratis association of neophytes that are called past times the spirit tin in addition to are willing to journeying inwards in addition to amongst the spirit, Bagre is divided into ii complementary denominations: Bag-Degre (Dirty Bagre) in addition to Bag-Kaang (Oily Bagre), in addition to only ane of each type is located inwards a particular parish. The initiates of the Bag-Degre are usually painted amongst white stripes of ashes to demo their states of impurity, patch initiates of the Bag-Kaang are anointed amongst Shea butter. There are several reasons why a someone may acquire an initiate, or live seized past times the Bagre Ngmen. Some response the telephone telephone for wellness reasons, others for prosperity, others to acquire a married adult woman or husband, children, or to acquire a instructor inwards the association. Thus, in that location are spiritual, social, political, psychological in addition to emotional reasons for a someone to acquire an initiate.
Through Bagre, nosotros are sensitized to Dagaaba views of their environment. The natural surround for
Dagaaba, as embedded inwards Bagre narrative in addition to observances, is a spiritual realm inhabited past times spirits, both
ancestral in addition to pre-human. For instance, the Kongtongbilii, what Goody (1972) translates as ‘beings of the
wild’, be within both the spiritual in addition to environmental consciousness of Dagaaba. There are also the
diverse deities who take away hold been delegated territorial say-so past times Nangmen inwards the universe. It is Kongtongbilii in addition to these other spiritual beings in addition to deities who aid humans to brand spiritual journeys dorsum to Nangmen in addition to His married adult woman inwards the heaven to consort amongst them nigh the important of life in addition to death. In monastic enjoin to brand that journey, Dagaaba initiative of all invoke Tengbane, in addition to so the ancestors, in addition to other lesser spirits. Together, they aid them clarify their vision for the journey.
According to Bagre narrative Tengbane is Mother of Bagre, Sagbane is considered as Father of Bagre. How the ii interact to ensure harmony inwards the surround is dramatized inwards Bagre narrative. First, the Father of Bagre sends pelting from the sky, which falls in addition to impregnates the Mother of Bagre, Earth. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tree is born in addition to becomes the highway to Nangmen’s residence. But inwards monastic enjoin for humans to attain Nangmen’s residence to take away hold palaver, they demand the aid of other creatures. So amongst the aid of Badare (Spider), they climb the tree to Nangmen’s house. This is how the Bagre narrative captures it.
He began to acquire upward A slender tree
in addition to when he’d done so, is brought forth.
he spoke again, It is the earth’s child
greeting the ground shrine, that is born.
greeting god, [. . . ]
greeting the ancestors, And he was told
greeting the bein gs. That the slender tree,
When he’d done this, he must grasp
he saw something in addition to climb upward quickly
of great importance. To God’s house.
ground in addition to rain, He grasped the tree
the pelting is manful someone but he couldn’t climb it
in addition to the ground is female. And barbarous on his back.
When the fourth dimension comes, Then the spider
regard the rain; galloped over
its penis rises With his feet flying
in addition to bursts forth. And said that
See the earth, [... ]
a fully grown maiden, ATo God’s house
who is nigh to bear. We’ll climb.
(Goody 1972: Bag-Kaang, ll.443-502)
Badare’s importance as a civilization hero inwards Dagaaba environmental in addition to salvation thought is suggested here.
Human fragility inwards the interventionist role of animals animals, insects, plants, in addition to invisible spirits is stressed. As
Bagre performance elucidates, humanity is precariously peripheral to the centre of God’s creation as the
absence of human residents inwards God’s solid is startlingly unnerving. Worse soundless for humans, God’s palace is populated past times insects, plants, in addition to animals: the dog, the lion, the hippo, the elephant, the duiker, the tomcat,
the fly, the spider, in addition to the leopard, to shout out a few. This shows the gulf betwixt humans in addition to their creator. Consequently, humans demand to build a sensitive in addition to meaningful human relationship amongst the nonhuman beings of the environment.
In Bagre narrative, Nangmen in addition to his married adult woman dramatize the acts of procreation to the human manful someone elderberry animate beingness characters. Later on, when Nangmen in addition to his married adult woman give the adult man a wife, together amongst a child, in addition to they render to Earth, the adult man soundless does non know how babies are made. The initiative of all ground woman, sent past times Nangmen to ground learns the human activity of sexual intercourse from the boa constructors. Her learning is both observational in addition to participatory, in addition to she later teaches her married adult man the mystery of the human activity of procreation (Goody 1972: ll.1951-2219). Similarly, the importance of animals inwards human survival is reenacted inwards Bagre through the story of the buffalo adult woman in addition to the hunter.
Subsequently, Dagaaba Bagre initiation schooling, hunters are taught to kill for food, to kill mostly the manful someone in addition to old woman someone animals, in addition to to leave of absence the immature in addition to their mothers alone. Unfortunately, the cash nexus economic scheme that has been imposed on Dagaaba during the colonial catamenia has since confused all that environmental way of living. However, colonialism has non completely eroded Dagaaba environmental thought in addition to pedagogy, cheers to submerged Dagaaba environmental consciousness exemplified inwards their deep-seated beliefs inwards the presence of the ancestors in addition to other spiritual entities inwards their environment. This ensures that they do non willfully degrade their environment, less they loose contact amongst the spirit world, in addition to subsequently, lose the protection in addition to mode of sustenance that the surround soundless gives to them (Somé 1998: 54-55).In monastic enjoin to demo how of import the higher upward human relationship is, it is necessary to consider the role of the ancestral spirits inwards the surround as narrated inwards Bagre. The ancestral spirits piece of work inwards alliance amongst or against the Kontongbilii, the initiative of all nonhuman creatures inwards the surround to come upward to the assist of humans. They instruct Dagaaba everything nigh survival: how to grow food, hunt, brand weapons, cook, brand beer, in addition to fifty-fifty start Bagre itself. Kontongbilii, together amongst the ancestral spirits instruct the Dagaaba nigh their surround through dreams in addition to visions. For instance, they instruct traditional healers nigh the importance of sure plants as sources of medicine. Hence, Dagaaba perceive plants as living beings amongst spirits of their own. Plants also provide humans amongst food, fuel, in addition to medicine. Subsequently, to disrespect in addition to maltreat plants tin live dangerous, because plants do strike dorsum amongst diseases. For instance, a someone who indiscriminately destroys woodlots tin live sick from what is called ‘tree bite.’ Animals, the Bagre narrative tells us, instruct nigh the medicinal in addition to toxic values of plants from animals (ll.2320-2469). It is from plants that nosotros acquire poisons such as strophanthus for toxicant for arrowheads, in addition to to care for guinea worm infection. From the same plants nosotros acquire medicine to halt nascency blood, in addition to facilitate childbirth.
As indicated earlier, Bagre performance coincides inwards most cases amongst Kpangkyaanee (autumn), in addition to Uonii (Dry Season). With less piece of work on the farms, in addition to amongst plenty of food, people are inwards a festive mood. Bagre performance also is timed amongst moontide so that inter-clan in addition to intra-clan socialization is facilitated. Consequently, Bagre calendars laid out amongst the kickoff of harvest, fifty-fifty though novel harvests are forbidden to the initiates until they graduate. The most of import crop’s initiative of all fruit is the shea, which becomes mature inwards June. In determining when Bagre flavor tin live announced, the elders resort to the legend of the fruitbat. In this legend, the fruitbat, in addition to other animals in addition to birds as Bagre elders aid humans inwards their spiritual journey:
"And inwards Bagre,
our elders
are many.’
‘What do you lot hateful past times many?’
‘You saw that
inwards Bagre
in that location was the large fruit-bat.
He’s our Bagre
elder.
The belibaar bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The kyaalipio bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The large frog
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The damdamwule bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.
The crown bird
is ane of our Bagre creatures.’
‘What’s an elder?’
‘I tell you,
all winged creatures
in addition to the featherless cock.’
(Goody 1972: Bagre Degre-- Dirty Bagre ll. 4550-4579)
At this stage, initiates laid out their teaching on the roles played past times the diverse animals inwards Bagre, in addition to thus inwards human survival. The large fruitbat knows when the initiative of all shea fruits are mature. By observing its behavior, the elders are able to know the exact fourth dimension to denote the flavor without breaking whatsoever spiritual taboos. In this case, stuff scientific discipline is of no significance since machines tin only gauge time, which would soundless non live accurate taking into consideration the variables of uncertainties inwards nature. But the fruit-bat’s eating habits give the people a fourth dimension precision inwards which to act. The fruit-bat ‘will know the fourth dimension / to fetch the fruit / inwards the night’ (Goody 1972: ll. 4591-93), eats the fruit, leaves the seed for the elders to see, in addition to and so they volition initiate their preparations for the Bagre.
The role of the damdamwule amidst Dagaaba, whose sole life depends on rain-fed agricultural practices, is inwards its powerfulness to know when the rains are due in addition to to percentage this knowledge amongst humans to allow them know that Sieong is here. The damdamwule also acts as an agricultural extension officer, telling the people through its song, when to sow what in addition to when to halt sowing. Those who turn down to recognize its pedagogy of nature through its music sow inwards vain (Goody 1972: ll. 4611-40). The weather-wise damdamwule is helped past times the n birime (featherless fowl). He or she wakes upward the people at dawn, during Sieong, to go to their farms. It performs this role past times beating its wings early on inwards the morning. The belibaar knows when Kpangkyaanee is close in addition to returns ‘from the pelting side / in addition to flies / where the Sun sets’ (Goody 1972: ll. 4651-53) to warn people to laid out preparing their barns for harvest, in addition to the Bagre. It is thus through the migratory movements of this plane that the elders are able to denote the Bagre in addition to to spot ritual prohibitions on the initiates.
Reenactment of the Hunt at the 2009 Kobine festival inwards Lawra.
The kyaalipio wakes upward women at dawn during Bagre catamenia to go in addition to fetch the H2O used inwards brewing
the beer for the Bagre ceremony (Goody 1972: ll. 4670-88) before it is dingy past times wild boars. Wild
boars are also considered spirit beings associated amongst Bagre. Bagre is a purgatorial journeying to a rebirth
in addition to hence it has prohibitions that include sexual abstinence for the neophytes, the eating of sure foods,
in addition to full general leisure. The manful someone crown-bird calls the Bagre members to acquire upward from their slumber in addition to feed
the children at midnight, so that from in addition to so on they tin laid out a fast (Goody 1972: ll. 4689-4713). Then
in that location is the old manful someone guinea fowl who tells of the flowering of beans. This way, the elders are able to
denote the arrival of Bagre. In a way, the old guinea cock’s regain of edible bean flowers inwards his farm,
cross checks the accuracy of timing of Bagre amongst the large fruit bat’s regain of shea fruits. Other birds
also component subdivision inwards the service of Bagre Mother, Tengbane, in addition to Bagre Father, Sagbane.
In improver to the way inwards which feathered creatures are treated inwards the Bagre ceremony, other animals play of import roles. Some of these animals are spirit animals in addition to are thus prohibited to Bagre. They include the duo (wild boar), the sienee (porcupine), the sasere (grass-cutter), in addition to mokpaangoo (bush guinea-fowl).
There are no reasons given inwards the narrative why these are prohibited, but nosotros do non demand to search far for
the reason. These are totemic animals, in addition to it is non allowed for ane to kill a clan totem animate beingness nether any
circumstance. In contrast to the prohibited animals, in that location are sure animals that are regarded as fit offering to the Bagre deity. They include, korenga (partridge), soangaa (rabbit/hare), kyie (squirrel), walaa (antelope). Reasons for selecting these as acceptable to the Bagre are uncertain.
It is clear from what I take away hold said higher upward that plants, animals, insects, in addition to spirit beings play a really important role inwards the Bagre performance. These roles aid to shape the spiritual, moral, intellectual, in addition to cultural characters of Dagaaba youth. They also initiate the construction of a positive environmental consciousness amidst them. For instance, unless the ceremony of the shea butter is performed, whatsoever endeavour at kickoff the Bagre performance volition live fraught amongst danger (Goody 1972: ll.780-960). Consequently, the shea tree in addition to its fruits, in addition to the role the fruit bat plays, cannot live considered purely from a materialist economical perspective, in addition to cultural backwardness. Yes, the shea tree has a lot of economical importance to the Dagaaba. But its ritual importance is what has ensured its survival inwards the human face upward of worsening environmental degradation. It is also of import to recognize the spiritual links betwixt the people, the bat, in addition to the tree. Without this recognition the tree volition live destroyed when its economical importance is no longer really relevant, in addition to its role as protector of the soil volition live terminated.
In addition, the fruitbat’s ambiguous location as a winged mammal, in addition to as ane who sees inwards the night, gives testimony to its importance inwards discovering the initiative of all fruits of the shea tree. It is carnivorous in addition to herbivorous, in addition to hangs upside downward dissimilar other winged creatures. Thus, it breaks all the boundaries associated amongst animals in addition to birds. For this reason, it is the eldest amidst the non-human elders of the Bagre. The fruit bat throws the seed of the shea fruit into the farms of humans. This enables the elders to regard in addition to laid out the physical care for of announcing the Bagre. The fruit bat’s activity also helps disperse the seeds of the tree, in addition to past times that activity it helps to expand the natural vegetation. Thus, the events carried past times the fruit bat, in addition to all the other animals, insects, in addition to birds displace humans toward a revelatory recognition of their total dependence on these other creatures. This dependence past times humans on non-human subjects is what is in addition to so re-enacted inwards the Bagre performance toward securing human happiness, health, wealth, piety, in addition to social mobility past times Dagaaba inwards their otherwise harsh surround (Goody 1972: ll.922-29).
Batman Samini, instrumentalist in addition to award-winner at 2006 MOBO Awards is a Dagao
Dagaare Music
While the music on this recording is the facial expression of a distinct ethnolinguistic group, the Dagaaba,
nevertheless, take away hold had long historical, social, cultural in addition to linguistic ties amongst other peoples of the northern
parts of Ghana, such as the Sisaala, the Waala, the Dagomba, the Frafra, the Kasena, the Builsa, the Kusaasi in addition to the Mamprusi. Thus, the musical cultures of the part percentage sure features. For instance,
the main musical instrument of the northwestern component subdivision of the province is the xylophone, which may live supported by
a drum or a drum ensemble, in addition to the scales are largely of the hemitonic in addition to anhemitonic pentatonic types,
that is, v banking concern complaint scales that include half-steps in addition to those that do not.
Music-making amidst the Dagaaba, similar other peoples of the region, is an intrinsic component subdivision of social life.
Certain types of music in addition to repertories of vocal may live associated amongst particular occasions, cults,
cooperative piece of work groups in addition to organized labour, historic catamenia groups, in addition to rites of passage. For instance, praisesongs
(danno ng) are performed regularly as a tribute to the primary patch other types of music are exclusive
to the rituals in addition to ceremonies of the regal court, such as an investiture, an assembly inwards the courtroom or
audience chamber, or a funeral. Particular types of music are identified amongst the religious cult called Bagre which holds an annual festival; or amongst traditional associations, such as the kp 3ta a , which comprises
reciprocal aid groups for immature farmers. The "anle e " social trip the low-cal fantastic is reserved for females; the fe roo is a
trip the low-cal fantastic performed past times the youth; patch the "se3gaana a" is danced mainly past times the elderly There are warrior
songs (zoore yi e le), as good as songs for farming, grinding, pounding, floor-beating, plastering, hunting
(waaron g yi e le) in addition to herding.
There are special songs for initiation ceremonies, funerals (kobie), ritual sacrifice, weddings, in addition to world naming ceremonies that occur vii days after the nascency of a kid (referred to as ‘outdooring’). On some occasions, sure types of music may live prohibited, for instance, the ba wa a is non performed when a fellow member of the community is seriously sick or when someone has died. Music may also occur as the spontaneous facial expression of private community members, such as the music for the solo bamboo flute (wu le e ), the harp (p 3na a or koriduo inwards Nandom), or the lullaby (bi-ya gleyi e le).
Finally, music is used to welcome in addition to honour of import guests in addition to visitors.
The Bawaa Dance
Group dancing is intrinsic to ritual in addition to ceremony in addition to is an of import marking of social competence. In
order, then, for an private to participate inwards a ritual he or she must live able to dance. Group dancing is
also an of import way of maintaining community solidarity. As a Dagaare vocal says: ‘If one’s kid does
non know how to dance, it does non belong to the community’.
The bawaa is a telephone telephone to immature people to brand trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to music together, indeed the term "bawaa " literally means, "young people, come upward together" (Kobina Saighoe:1984). The bawaa trip the low-cal fantastic then, is a favourite
pastime amidst the Dagaaba youth. It oftentimes occurs simply as a spontaneous facial expression of immature members
of the community when an chance arises. Mostly, however, the bawaa trip the low-cal fantastic is incorporated into
diverse celebrations, including: rites of passage marking birth, puberty, matrimony in addition to death, or to honour
an individual.
The bawaa dancers also brand upward the chorus which comprises both immature males in addition to females, including
children. One of the dancers, ordinarily a manful someone amongst the most science or experience as a dancer or instrumentalist, takes the role of atomic number 82 vocalist called the ba wa -ngmaara or the bawa-kye3r3 (‘the cutter’). The dancers are accompanied past times ii xylophonists, ane plays a ‘male’ musical instrument (gyil-daa) in addition to the other plays a ‘female’ musical instrument (gyil-nyanngaa), and a drummer who plays a single-headed drum (ganggaa).
The leader of the dance-chorus decides when ane vocal ends in addition to when a novel ane begins. The chorus,
called bawa-sagereba (or sagra: singular ‘one who agrees’), responds to the calls from the leader. The
dancers vesture metallic leg jingles (kyeem e), beaded girdles (l ebie ), metallic finger cymbals (pe ra a pl. perre ) and
sometimes metallic wrist jingles. Uniforms are sometimes worn past times the dancers but this may non live so inwards other cases.
The telephone telephone to trip the low-cal fantastic ordinarily begins amongst the clapping of finger cymbals. The ii xylophone players, who
sit down contrary each other amongst the drummer side past times side to them, laid out patch the crowd gathers about the dance
area. The dancers in addition to so acquire inwards the expanse in addition to shape a circle about the musicians, dancing inwards either an anticlockwise or clockwise direction.
The main component subdivision of the trip the low-cal fantastic consists of an alternation betwixt ii sections. The initiative of all department is called the See`o during which they perform a vocal inwards telephone telephone in addition to response fashion. This is followed past times a to a greater extent than intense
department called a` emmo` (‘to set in’). During this section, the trip the low-cal fantastic becomes to a greater extent than intense as the dancers
synchronize their steps amongst heavy syncopated accents in addition to displays of skill. In Accra, a do has
developed whereby individuals or pairs acquire out the circle for competitive displays of skill. The whole dance
ceremony oftentimes has a ‘director’ called the bawaa-naa who does non participate inwards the trip the low-cal fantastic trial itself,
but who oversees the entire performance. This cycle is repeated whatsoever number of times for each song, until
such times as the leader signals a novel vocal in addition to the cycle begins again.
When the dancers demo signs of tiring ane of the xylophone players gives a signal to halt the dance. In the
hamlet setting the dancers simply stop, patch inwards Accra a to a greater extent than formal organisation exists whereby the
dancers acquire out the circle inwards a unmarried line. Generally, a performance lasts betwixt 20 in addition to 30 minutes. (click hither for Bawaa dance: http://shelf3d.com/4pOzOarwnZI#Bewaa Dance Of The Dagaaba People.)
Dagaaba (Dagarti) dancers from Jirapa
Kobine is a traditional trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to festival unique to the Lawra expanse of northward western Ghana. The trip the low-cal fantastic in addition to the festival named after it are celebrated inwards September in addition to Oct to score the halt of a successful harvest.
Festival.
The festival of Kobine lasts 4 days, amongst the initiative of all solar daytime usually reserved for visiting solid unit of measurement in addition to friends. The 2nd in addition to tertiary days are the official holidays. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 procession of the solid unit of measurement heads is accompanied past times groups of younger people dressed to stand upward for hunters in addition to elephants.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of speeches are made past times dignitaries in addition to other guests of honour before the Kobine trip the low-cal fantastic contest begins.
Ethnic Dagaaba people performing Kobine trip the low-cal fantastic atKobine festival inwards Lawra, Upper West Region
The Kobine music is produced from kuor, a drum musical instrument amongst a base of operations made from a gourd, in addition to dalar, a smaller drum made from the cervix of a clay pot.
The men usually clothing inwards beautifully decorated skirts, but are usually bare-chested to demonstrate their masculinity as good as their flexibility patch they dance. Other ornaments such as headgear in addition to caps are worn. The women clothing similarly to the men, except they mostly volition vesture a blouse. Both men in addition to women vesture a band of bells about the ankles to accentuate their rhythmic moves when they dance.
The trip the low-cal fantastic itself consists of quick rhythmic moves especially amongst the body or upper body. At the peak moves catamenia of the dance, the women volition mostly cutting inwards in addition to trip the low-cal fantastic inwards forepart of their favorite manful someone dancer.
Dagaaba Gyil
The Dagaare Xylophone (Gyil)
Dagaare xylophones are ordinarily played inwards pairs, facing each other. The Dagaare xylophones (gyi l, pl. gy ile ) recorded inwards Kogri-Ullo take away hold 18 keys patch those inwards the Dagaare social clubs inwards Accra take away hold 17 keys. The keys (gyi l bi `r, lit. "seed") are tied together amongst antelope enshroud in addition to mounted over a enshroud cushion on a wooden frame. Gourd resonators (ko`or, pl. ko`o) graduated inwards size are suspended nether each key. Two or iii holes nigh 2-3cm inwards diameter are bored into each gourd in addition to covered amongst a spider’s egg instance ( pempenee)
to increment the resonance in addition to to create a buzzing effect.
The lastly in addition to lowest key (za` ngbaal) does non take away hold a resonator as it is used for playing a repeated rhythmic ostinato (kpaaroo) The other keys are played amongst a wooden beater (gyildoo`le) nigh 30cm long, covered amongst safe at the head. The tuning of the Dagaare xylophone is pentatonic (anhemitonic) in addition to has a make of ii octaves. (further readings: http://www.michaelvercelli.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Vercelli_DMA_Document1.pdf)
The accompanying drums are ordinarily single-headed (gangare ), though a gourd drum (koo`re) usually
reserved for funerals, was used inwards the Accra performances
Death in addition to Afterlife
There is a full general belief inwards life after death, in addition to funeral ceremonies are the way past times which the actual
passage of a human beingness from the Land of the Living (tengzu) to the Land of Dead (dapaarewie) is effected. The dead go across the river of expiry amongst the assist of a ferryman; during the trip, those who take away hold led evil lives may live punished for their misdeeds. In the course of instruction of the serial of funeral ceremonies, a dead adult man also becomes an ancestor, amongst a shrine that volition thereafter have regular offerings of nutrient in addition to imbibe from his descendants, especially from those who take away hold inherited from him.
Additionally, ancestor reverence in addition to abide by for the belief inwards the powerfulness of the ancestors to protect, guide, in addition to offering showers of approving to the living, may live considered as the most of import aspects of the human relationship betwixt the living in addition to their supernatural agents. The ancestors are never dead. They merely
go on to live inwards the other world of spirits in addition to serve as media betwixt their relatives in addition to the spirits in addition to gods.
Funeral: Death, especially of infants, was frequent. Those who take away hold non yet been weaned are non mourned inwards the usual way, except past times their mothers, because they are deemed to live wandering spirits, rather than humans. Precautions are taken against their render to this earth.
For all others, however, the funeral rites are long in addition to complex, in addition to they involve the participation of many people. All funeral rituals amidst the Dagaaba involve musicians, mourners in addition to the assembled villagers in addition to guests from neighboring villages. The music grouping usually consists of xylophonists, drummers in addition to singers. The singers improvise, recreate in addition to reproduce through their songs the history of the solid unit of measurement upward to the expiry that resulted inwards the separation. The theme of the songs is a combination of the deeds in addition to sorrows of the family. The best vocalist is ane who tin stir the maximum plane of grief inwards the chief-mourners (kotuodeme, the closest relatives of the diseased) past times his choice of words. The effect of the words of the singers is echoed in addition to amplified past times the tunes of the xylophones in addition to the sounds of the drums, moving the community to grieve freely.
Wailing, screaming, groaning, running, jumping, dancing in addition to singing are all acceptable ways of expressing grief. Shedding of tears is highly recommended in addition to admired. The kotuodeme are expected to shed a lot of tears in addition to acquit inwards a way that stirs sympathizers to percentage the grief to the fullest past times shedding as many tears as
possible.
The dead person, dressed inwards ceremonial outfit, is seated on a high wooden stool called paala, in addition to surrounded past times her/his valuable possessions. The stool is constructed from a special variety of tree. The singers, drummers in addition to xylophonists are usually non far from the corpse in addition to the entire funeral expanse is marked past times turmoil in addition to turbulence, as people human activity out their grief patch others essay to command themselves inwards monastic enjoin to calm downward some of the kotuodeme from fourth dimension to time. The kotuodeme are tagged amongst ropes (much similar leashes) for identification purposes in addition to for slow command past times people who may want to calm them downward past times holding on to the rope. The to a greater extent than contributions in addition to ropes ane sent to other kotuodeme inwards the past, the to a greater extent than ropes in addition to contributions ane is probable to have when ane becomes a kotuosobo (singular for kotuodeme).
Reciprocity is the guiding regulation here. Although many people are probable to halt past times at a funeral before continuing their daily business, the to a greater extent than funerals the deceased in addition to kotuodeme attended, the to a greater extent than probable the funeral volition live crowded past times sympathizers from all walks of life. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 well-attended funeral is an indication that the household has a high social reputation.
The length of funerals varies betwixt ane to v days. The lastly solar daytime is marked past times the burial of the dead person. There are usually designated grave diggers in addition to specially trained people who do the actual burying, for it is believed the dead is capable of preventing ane from exiting the grave in ane trial the burial physical care for is nigh to end. Renowned witches in addition to medicine people are especially notorious for challenging the under-takers. In such instances, only as toughened witches or medicine people who take away hold been trained to bury the dead volition live entrusted amongst the work at hand.
Highly respected elders are usually buried inwards the middle of the solid unit of measurement chemical compound or inwards forepart of the solid unit of measurement solid rather than inwards the cemetery. This is to hold them unopen to the solid unit of measurement who are constantly beingness watched over past times the dead elderberry or ancestor. From fourth dimension to time, libation may live poured in addition to sacrifices made on the grave. On other informal occasions, the grave may serve as a resting spot for naps in addition to for relaxing in addition to chatting. The elders do non play an of import only after their death, but also patch they are alive.
Sources:http://www.linguistics.hku.hk/staff/Bodomo/JDS/2004/JDS2004_Kuwabong.pdf
http://www.linguistics.hku.hk/staff/Bodomo/JDS/JDS2002_Alenuma.pdf